Things Best Forgotten
by TheBucklingBridge
Summary: Set after the series ends with disregard to the after story movies. A young girl with mysterious abilities stumbles upon the late Genkai's temple and is discovered to have been a lost case from the time Sensui was spirit detective. Our favorite group of guys must now unravel the mystery surrounding her strange past. Rated M for language, sexual scenes, and triggers.
1. Author's Note

Hello to all who have decided to venture into my tangled, twisted fic. A couple of notes before we begin:

This is my time posting anything. I'm writing solely for myself and am only posting in hopes of receiving some reviews to help get past a block I've been struggling with.

This fic is a healing process, so please be kind in your reviews. There will be strong language, graphic sex and torture scenes, as well as possible triggers. You have been warned.

Since I am writing this for myself updates will be sporadic at best. Also, the title is subject to change, so be on the lookout for that incase my changing the title makes the story difficult to locate in the future.

This story does not and will not have a beta, so apologies for any errors. That being said I'm not an English/writing major so my writing isn't the best. Apologies for the rough patches.

Finally, any questions or such feel free to drop a message in my inbox. I'll get to it when I can.

As always thank you all for your support and reviews. I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

The Buckling Bridge

8/22/16: I have made some corrections that I have found when rereading. These will be posted over the next few days along with the next chapter. This chapter will contain graphic torture scenes, please be aware. I will also be posting a warning at the beginning of the chapter.

Regards,

The Buckling Bridge


	2. Chapter 1

Mae climbs the final stone step; her legs trembling at the effort of hauling her weight over the last worn stair. Glancing over her shoulder she almost loses her balance at the dizzying height, her oversized black duffle throwing her off balance. She throws her arms out, waving them wildly in an attempt to regain her balance. The girl is small and appears much younger than she is; at about 5'2" she looks twelve though she is almost twenty six, her baggy clothes make it hard to tell just how old she is. Her hair is dyed a dark but neutral shade of brown that Japanese natives usually possess; her eyes are the same neutral shade, their true color hidden behind colored costume contacts. In truth she appears native to Japan; her European features are also disguised with heavy, but expertly applied make up. Mae brushes a few strands of dark hair from her face and looks around shrugging her baggy thermal shirt back into place.

The temple grounds are beautiful: serene and surrounded by nature. Towering trees of varying species race up the side of the mountain concealing the temple nestled into one of the sparse clearings. Thick grass surrounds the temple; twin flowerbeds framing the porch hold perfectly maintained rosebushes. The temple itself is awe inspiring. The building is massive, split into two wings and framed by a veranda. On the north side of the building Mae could see a smaller enclosure peeking out from behind the roof. Completely secluded. This is what she craves. Even before the incident that led her to seek refuge in a foreign country Mae preferred to be alone, often seeking out parks and heavily wooded areas back in her home state.

Mae turns back toward the temple, beginning to rehearse her plea once more. _I'm sorry to intrude, my name is- I should use Rumiko this time I think. I'm traveling and was wondering- no hoping- to stay a few days at the temple…_ Much to her surprise she was met by the owner of the temple. The young woman was a sight to behold, mint green hair fell over her shoulders in an intricate braid. She towers over Mae, her pale skin glows in the afternoon sun as an autumn breeze ruffles her loose sweater. Candy red eyes rove over the intruder, narrowing slightly in suspicion. The ice maiden, Yukina, has hardened over the years, her distrust of strangers out weighing her naturally gentle nature, especially strangers whose energy she can't place.

"You're trespassing." The young woman states with a slight frown, "but then you already knew that didn't you?"

 **Yes, sorry** Mae signs with an apologetic smile. **My name-** she was cut off abruptly, a pale hand snaking out to grasp her wrist. Yukina shudders upon coming into contact with the smaller girl; her usual gentle demeanor is gone. An inexplicable rage threatens to overcome the ice maiden whispering to rip the intruder apart, consequences be damned. Yukina swallows thickly pushing the intruding feelings away and drops Mae's wrist, taking a step back for good measure. Once the contact is broken the desire to rip the girl to shreds fades; the feeling is still fresh enough to warrant extreme caution on Yukina's part. _What in the three worlds was that? Does she not know, or does she not care?_

"I don't know what's gotten into you, waving your hands around like that" Yukina about growls, moving into a defensive stance. Something about this girl was not right. "You'd better start talking and fast."

Mae pales and quickly pulls out a note pad and pen. 'My name is Rumiko. I'm sorry, I cannot speak, I have no voice. I came to ask to stay at the temple for a few days.' With a bow Mae hands the pad to Yukina who is careful to avoid direct contact and reads the note with a raised eyebrow.

"No" she says thrusting the note pad back into the young girl's hands. "This is not a hotel and this is not a tourist stop. Go stay at the town…"

The ice maiden trails off as the girl's face falls. Yukina's sweet nature was going to get the better of her, strange energy or no she can't help but feel sorry for the girl. Something about her speaks to the koorime; maybe it is the way the girl's shoulders slump in defeat that doesn't reach the carefully neutral expression on her face. Or perhaps it was the way her knees keep trying to buckle under the weight of her pack. This coupled with the ice maiden's natural curiosity about the girl's energy, which was distinctly human but at the same time not, proves enough to override her carefully built distrust for humans. _Besides, she said it was only for a few days. If I flare my energy after she leaves it will be enough to erase any trace of her. Kazuma, Yuske, Kurama, and Hiei never need know._ She reasons with a sigh and rubbed her temples with delicate fingers, _but I'll have to be careful if I want to discover why she has such a strange energy, and what that strange feeling was…_

"Very well," Yukina says, harsh as she can manage. "Follow me and I'll give you a tour of where you're going to stay. I'm only going to show you around once and I expect you to stay out of my hair."

Mae quickly gathers her things and ran to catch up to the ice maiden. Mentally she sighs in relief; she'd thought it would be a lot harder to convince the strange temple maiden to allow her to stay.

"Understand" Yukina snaps, turning to face Mae drawing the girl out of her musings. It was more of a statement than a question so Mae just nods in response. They enter through the main doors on the south side of the building, the ice maiden slowing her pace when she hears her visitor practically running to keep up with her. Yukina showed Mae the kitchen, a couple of libraries, the dining hall, a tea room, and pointed down one of the hallways to a traditional bathhouse with hot springs. When Genkai had passed, leaving the temple to the koorime, Yukina had allowed the boys to remodel the eastern wing of the temple. This included adding a rather large entertainment room and several updated guest rooms. She had however won the argument for keeping the hot springs rather than replacing them with a modern shower area; opting to allow some private bathrooms for some of the rooms. Kurama had also convinced her to add a rather extensive greenhouse just off the northern wall which he tended to regularly. After the brief tour of the western half of the temple Yukina stops in front of an unmarked door, "You may stay here."

Without another word she turns and is gone. Mae stares after her, confused, but after a moment shrugs and enters the room. The western part of the temple remains in traditional style due to its lack of use and as Yukina insists, to pay respect to Genkai's spirit and human heritage. Since the room is at the end of the hall two of the walls hold windows. On the wall opposite the door there is a small dresser resting under the first window. In the corner a futon has been rolled up and leaned against the wall. Across from the second window sits a desk and a small stool, the only two pieces of Western style furniture she's seen so far in the temple. All the electronics and appliances are up to date, what few she's seen, but the furniture and decorations remain in the traditional Japanese style. Next to the desk is another door, Mae drops her bag in the middle of the room, wincing at the loud thump of her bag hitting the wood of the floor, and sticks her head inside to discover a small bathroom. It has room for little more than a shower, sink, and toilet. There was also a window in the shower to keep the room from steaming up too badly.

Mae grins; her hostess had been more than generous. Her smile slides into a frown when she catches a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror. She fingers her dyed hair, the long strands reaching just below her shoulder blades and pokes at her face careful not to smudge the precisely applied makeup. Truthfully she never thought she was anything special to look at, most people calling her a freak due to her albinism. The nuns she'd grown up around had told Mae that she looked like an angel, a gift from God, with her white hair and alabaster skin that was almost see through if she avoided sunlight all together. Her eyes a deep sapphire blue, almost unheard of; most albinos have red or pink eyes due to the lack of pigment, some have icy blue eyes but a deep rich blue is terrifyingly beautiful on an albino. The nuns carried the angel theory over to her strange ability; her curse. A bitter laugh nearly escapes her, _if only they'd known- if only she'd known, maybe her father knew. Maybe that's why he beat her…_

Mae sighs and brushes her dyed hair from her face. She'd have to cut it soon to keep it in the acceptable range of unmemorable. She'd found shoulder length, or close to was average enough that most people over looked it. So she cut her hair to just above her shoulders and let it grow to just below her shoulder blades before cutting it again. Truthfully she was tired of hiding, tired of the aliases, and tired of running from whomever, or whatever, was chasing her. All she knows is that he wanted her bad enough to torture and kill the staff, nuns, of the halfway house she had been staying at. He'd then slaughtered the remaining kids staying there and several people passing by. Mae had returned to find the entire block up in flames.

 _ **It was late, about ten at night and being late fall it was completely dark out. Mae had just finished her shift at a small Japanese restaurant. The owners hardly spoke any English and didn't mind that she was only eleven, they said as long as she could carry a tray and take a customer's order she was old enough to work. They also didn't mind her strange appearance joking that she looked like a ghost and nicknaming her Ikriyo. She'd been walking home when she heard the sirens, not an uncommon sound in downtown D.C. When she practically followed them to the halfway house she'd been staying at she started to panic.**_

 _ **She'd run up to the burning house to find one of the Sisters laying in a pool of her own blood on the asphalt. Mae remembered the cold terror that had filled her as the Sister explained what had happened: A large man had come asking for Mae, and when the Sisters had refused to tell him where she was he ripped them apart with his bare hands. Run. That was what the Sister had said with her dying breath. Run was exactly what Mae did. Panicked she sprinted to the nearest ATM and withdrew the remainder of her trust fund left to her by her late mother, as well as the money she'd been saving from her part time job. Together it was enough for her to attend college and graduate debt free, as well as buy a car and a small house. She then ditched her ATM card, as well as any other identifying information. Social security, school ID, blood donor card all left in a street corner trash can. Mae proceeded to disguise herself. She dyed her hair a dark, but neutral shade of brown, stole a pair of brown costume contacts, and new clothes; Mother Mary forgive her. She also persuaded a guy she knew to provide her with new forms of ID; namely a driver's license to lie about her age and a passport. She'd then bought and boarded the first available international flight destination: Germany.**_

 _ **Total immersion made the language pretty easy to pick up, the difficult part was learning to read and sign in German. Learning to do so without speaking was nearly impossible; she'd had to acquire several books in order to teach herself. After about four months though she was completely fluent in the language, moving around allowed her to pick up the dialects and nuances of the language. In total she'd stayed in Germany about four years. That had been eleven years ago.**_

Mae shook herself, now was not the time to reminisce; but fifteen years since this had started, she'd be turning twenty six soon although her driver's license claimed she was thirty. Admittedly things were easier now that she's starting to look older, though she still looks years younger than she is. In a few years she would be able to stop hiding during the day when kids were in school; it was just easier than having to pull out her fake ID every time she was stopped. That and all of her fake licenses are obviously foreign which also raises eyebrows, no it's better to just stay out of sight for now, probably forever.

She quickly unpacks her things, piling her multitudes of costume makeup on the desk and shoving her clothes in the drawers. She doubted her hostess would be checking in on her with the whole 'stay out of my hair' comment. _Good enough_ she tells herself with a yawn. She unrolls her futon and pulls it over so she can sleep under the second window. Probably not the safest choice but, she's always loved looking at the stars as she falls asleep- a love that stemmed from a happier time, when her mother was still alive and before her father started beating her. They would often sit outside on a blanket in their backyard, wrapping themselves in warmth when the nights were cool and slathering themselves in bug spray during the warmer springs and summers. Her parents owned a house outside of the city, just far enough away that they could see the stars. On those nights in the backyard her mother would teach Mae the constellations and her father would tell her the stories behind them. It didn't matter how well she knew the stories Mae always begged to hear them again, and her parents would oblige recounting the stories until the young girl fell asleep.

Her things put away, Mae sets off to explore nearly tripping over the hem of her pants when they came unrolled. Soon she stumbles upon the kitchen cursing herself for not paying better attention during the brief tour she'd received. Unlike what Mae has seen of the temple so far the kitchen is completely up to date. It was the easiest room to renovate as the previous owner had kept it decently updated so the electricity and gas lines as well as plumbing had already been run. The large cooking area holds two six burner gas stove tops, there are also three large ovens stacked to the left of the sink which is huge. Mae's eyes almost pop out of her head, _I could take a bath in that thing!_ There are also two oversized refrigerator units across from the sink, a large prep area running along the wall beside them. A counter divides the kitchen; bar stools turn it into a breakfast counter. Another small table sits at the back of the kitchen, a row of floor to ceiling windows; to the right and nestled in the corner is a French storm door currently open to allow the fresh air in.

Noticing it's getting late Mae wanders in and began to pull out ingredients to make supper. The pots and pans weren't hard to locate, however, the knives and cutting board are a different story; she has to look through six different cabinets before climbing up on the counter and locating the elusive board in a cabinet above the sink. _Who even keeps their cutting board above the sink; I mean honestly how is anybody supposed to reach it all the way up there!_ Mae huffs looking at the ingredients she has to work with; she's always found Asian cuisine challenging but she'd gotten pretty good at it the past couple of years. _I wonder why, it's not like I've been living in Japan_ she snickers to herself stirring the vegetables before transferring them to a separate pan with the meat and sauce.

"I didn't know you could cook." Yukina says wandering in; Mae smiles and shrugs handing the koorime a plate. _I wonder if her hair is naturally that color or if she dyes it…surely she has to dye it, but what a strange color choice; and those eyes…jeez it's enough to make a girl nervous._ Mae's thoughts were interrupted by Yukina's soft voice. "Hmm… I didn't tell you earlier but there are some rules: First, don't go into the woods, especially after dark. Second, you aren't allowed in the East wing of the temple, I'm allowing you to stay here that doesn't mean you can wander around willy-nilly. Third and most important, I conduct a… business here. Should something come up in the days you are here you should stay out of sight and out of the way; understand?"

Again this was more of a statement than a question. Mae smiles to show she understands, her fingers twist the hem of her shirt nervously. _Maybe this was a bad idea. I wanted to stay here to get away from all the people, but if she has people coming and going…well that kind of defeats the purpose. Maybe I should just leave…_ Mae's thoughts are interrupted as the ice maiden continues.

"Furthermore, if you break any of these rules I can't be responsible for what happens to- oh now what!" Yukina exclaims, putting her plate down and throwing her hands in the air as a peppy tune fills the room. She stalks out of the room before answering the call so her guest won't see the spirit world communication device. The ice maiden pulls the compact looking device from her pocket flipping it open. _Koenma really ought to make these look like cell phones, I mean honestly._ On the screen appeared the toddler prince. His round cheeks were flushed and his usual blue hat sits crooked.

"Oh thank goodness Yukina!" He gushes, pacifier in hand. She fights the urge to roll her eyes, after dealing with the spirit prince for the past four years she understands why Genkai was always so gruff. Koenma leans back in his chair so his face isn't taking up the entire screen and straightens his hat; he looks agitated, unusual but not unheard of for spirit world's second in command.

"Yes Lord Koenma what can I do for you?" The ice maiden asks tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear. She tries not to inhale too deeply, the smell of Mae's cooking threatening to make her stomach rumble and her mouth water.

"I'm calling an emergency meeting at the temple!" He exclaims, placing a hand on the desk and leaning back into the camera. Yukina holds the communicator at arms-length, unable to contain a grimace at the feedback coming from the speaker. "A file has come up! Ah sorry Yukina, I've been meaning to get this microphone fixed."

"Umm, Lord Koenma now isn't really-" The communicator screen goes dark cutting Yukina off before she can finish her weak protest. Not that the spirit prince would have listened to her anyways. Sighing she places the communicator back in her pocket and returns to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry but I have…visitors…they'll be arriving shortly. Good night." Yukina is as polite as she can be with her current situation, she really did wish that Koenma would give her more notice. She loved having an excuse to see the guys, especially Kazuma, but there had been instances where she would've appreciated some advanced notice. One time she'd been taking a bath when the spirit prince decided to call, she almost hadn't gotten dressed in time. The ice maiden could feel a flush creeping up her neck at the memory as she hurried out of the kitchen, maybe she could hold them at the door long enough for the girl to get back to her room.

Mae tries and fails to shrug off the pit forming in her stomach. She quickly finishes cleaning up her mess from cooking, throwing away the scraps and drying the last of the pans. She pushes up her sleeves to reveal white arms laced with blue veins. She usually didn't bother with makeup anywhere but her face, neck, and hands choosing instead to cover herself with clothes. Mae turned on the middle oven, unable to easily reach the top handle, and places Yukina's plate inside to stay warm. She then busies herself making one of the fragrant teas she found on her cutting board hunt. The scent of honey and vanilla fills the kitchen as the tea leaves steep. Silently she loads the pot and cups onto a serving tray before depositing them in the tea room she passed on her way to the kitchen earlier that night. With a small smile Mae ducks out of the tea room and half slides back to her small corner of the temple.

"This place sure has changed over the years." Yuske comments as he and Kuwubara walk across the lawn. They make quite a sight together, both being over six feet. Despite Yuske's last growth spurt Kuwubara still towers over him.

"Yeah, even more since Master Genkai passed." Kuwubara adds, running a hand through his carrot colored hair. His hair is short now, having forgone the pompadour during high school in order to look more professional during college applications. The choice has served him well allowing him to get into one of the top business schools in the country. He has also filled out, large muscles strain under his clothes when he moves to the steps of the temple. Gone is the clumsy goof of his junior high years, now his grey-brown eyes are focused and hold the wisdom of years of fighting spirit world's battles.

"I don't mean the additions either" he adds thinking back to the last few months the old psychic had been with them. Genkai had come down with a sudden and mysterious illness, one than even Kurama couldn't cure. They had suspected foul play, an attempt to break the group apart, and it had almost worked. For almost a year after Genkai's death Yuske couldn't be reached, having retreated to his kingdom in demon world. Keiko had managed to convince Koenma to allow her to go to demon world and retrieve Yuske, that girl was a godsend.

"Yeah, well, no time to reminisce, diaper breath said it was urgent, a lost file resurfacing or something like that. Leave it to him to lose something like that." The former spirit detective says shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Unlike his friend who had seemed to grow up all at once Yuske had hit his final growth spurt his freshman year, allowing him to be the tallest member of their strange group for almost six months. He never really filled out the way anybody expected, retaining that lanky boy-next-door look. Yuske glances at the temple from under his bangs; he told his team that gelling his hair while they were on missions had become too much of a bother but in truth Keiko had let it slip she liked his hair better without the product. His chocolate eyes rest on the ice maiden who had inherited the temple after his mentor had died.

A pang of loss still hits him every time he remembers Genkai, and that she's gone. Four years' time hasn't taken the edge off the blade that seems to cut him every time he visits and fails to hear her nagging voice calling him a dimwit or idiot. The dark haired man glances at his friend from the corner of his eye, smirking when he sees Kuwubara trying to hide a blush. The dumbass still hasn't made a move on the girl, even though they're both very taken with each other.

"Hey there Yukina, how's it hangin'?" Yuske calls out forcing a grin to take the place of the grimace he'd been sporting since receiving the call from Koenma almost an hour prior.

"Hello Yuske, Kazuma, please come in." The ice maiden smiles allowing her eyes to linger a split second longer on the carrot top. With a silent sigh she turns away and heads back into the temple, the smell of honey and vanilla drawing her to the tea room. Yukina blinks a couple of times to keep from tearing up, she fell in love with Kuwubara shortly after being rescued and has been waiting for him to make a move ever since. _Silly girl_ she chides herself, _if he had feelings for you he would have told you by now; you have known each other for over ten years now._

"Man when are you gonna grow a pair and ask her out?" Yuske grumbles "Anyone can see the way she looks at you, and we all know how you feel about her."

"Shut up Urameshi. You don't know shit; I can't be with Yukina, I mean even if she does have feelings for me did you ever stop to think about the fact that she's going to outlive me." Kuwubara glares at his friend, really sometimes he could be an idiot. The carrot top knows Yuske is going through a similar problem with his own love life and mentally kicks himself for bringing it up.

"Yeah, I know. I mean I'm gonna outlive Keiko by at least a few hundred years. Human lives are basically just a blip to demons, but you shouldn't let that stop you. I mean if she does love you then any time you have together is worth treasuring." Yuske shrugs with a halfcocked grin and saunters up the stairs, pausing at the door to throw one last comment over his shoulder before following the ice maiden inside. "At least that's what Keiko tells me."

Kuwubara stares at the empty door, letting the weight of his words sink in. _Yuske really has grown up. I mean yeah he's twenty seven, but still…_ He sighs knowing that if his childish friend is willing to face the centuries after Keiko dies just to be with her now he really has no choice but to man up and confess his feelings to Yukina. The carrot top reaches his energy out to try and sense Kurama or Hiei but, for some reason he can only sense Yukina. Even the former detective's energy is masked by the ice maiden. A small frown settling on his face Kuwubara heads into the temple to await the arrival of the last two members of their group.

Having showered and washed all the makeup from the day from her skin Mae plops herself down on the futon. Her contacts have been removed so she can sleep comfortably revealing their true azure color. Raw hands pull damp strands back into a simple braid, her usually white skin pink from scrubbing the makeup off and the heat of the shower. Mae leans against the window trying to see the stars that should be rising through the thick foliage surrounding the temple. Her efforts are in vain as the trees obscure the entire sky that she would be able to view from her window. She presses her cheek more firmly against the cool glass and lets her eyes flutter closed, able to picture the constellations that rest in the heavens outside her window. She stayed like this for the next few hours, unable to hear the bickering in the tea room, until she was unable to fight sleep any longer. She feels a weightlessness take over as she drifts off to sleep, relishing these few peaceful moments before the nightmares would begin.


	3. Chapter 2

"Did you feel that?" A tall red headed figure asks emerging from the tree line, his companion close behind. They are running late to their appointment due to some unfortunate events in the demon world. Well, unfortunate for the bandits that had tried to attack the two.

"Hn" The smaller figure grunts, he stands at about 5'8" not including his spiky black hair that seems to defy gravity. He wipes his katana on his billowing black cloak before sheathing it.

"You don't think it strange for Yukina to flare her energy in such a manner?" The first man asks, his emerald green eyes sliding across the temple searching for reasons to be concerned. His delicate features are almost feminine, a quality added to by his slender frame and long red hair which is currently pulled into a high ponytail. Despite his frail appearance there is a predatory quality about him. A quality inherited by his demon soul Youko. Hiei simply shrugs and heads toward the kitchen entrance of the temple.

"Come on fox, we're late." The fire demon states, which roughly translates to 'I'm already in a bad mood and I don't care to hear Koenma's bitching.' Kurama nods and moves to follow, keeping his senses on high alert. On their way through the kitchen the red head pauses, the lingering scent of Mae's cooking reaching him. He inhales deeply, his brow furrowing slightly, _Yukina's always been an adventurous cook, her results usually turning out well; but this mixture of spices and seasonings doesn't seem right for her._ Shaking it off he takes long strides to keep up with his smaller companion, Hiei has always had a fast gait, even when he was less than five foot. If the fox had stopped to inquire further into the cooking he would have noticed Yukina's plate in one of the ovens, arranged in such a way that would have instantly alerted any familiar with the ice maiden's cooking that she was not the one to have prepared the meal. The two stragglers make their way to the tea room, entering into a heated argument.

"I said I'm sorry! Do you think I lost this file on purpose? This file has been missing since before you were spirit detective Yuske!" Koenma whines, crossing his arms over his tiny chest. Even though it has been several years since the spirit prince became involved in the lives of his spirit detective team the prince only seems to have aged six months.

"So you just call us in the middle of dinner and say 'show up or else'?" Kuwubara shouts back, glaring daggers at the toddler. Kurama and Hiei linger in the doorway for a moment, taking in the scene. Koenma sits on one side of the table, retaining his toddler form to conserve energy with a manila folder placed carefully in front of him. The folder appears old, the edges tattered and the papers not quite wanting to rest correctly within the brackets. Yuske and Kuwubara sit across from the spirit prince; the former fuming silently while gritting his teeth and the latter poised so he looks as though he will launch himself across the table any moment. The final member of their strange team sits at the far end of the table, sipping her tea and refraining from the argument. Though she is obviously irritated her polite nature keeps her from saying anything, further she appears exhausted from flaring her energy and maintaining such a high level. The fire demon rolls his eyes and makes his way to perch on the window ledge at the far end of the room.

"Wait, what do you mean you had this case before I was spirit detective? Besides that why the hell are we still doing this, I'm not even officially spirit detective anymore!" Yuske asks, losing what little patience he had. Koenma chuckles and rubs the back of his head sheepishly; it's true the group no longer officially works for spirit world but, they are still regularly called upon by the spirit prince. For their efforts he opens lots of doors, including: allowing Yuske to travel back and forth from demon world regularly, posting guards around his, Kuwubara, and Kurama's families while on missions, and providing more than adequate compensation for their efforts. Despite this they could very easily refuse any of the multitudes of missions the prince showers on the group.

"Well, you see this mission is actually twenty years old." Koenma explains, folding his hands neatly over the manila folder. _It seems strange for the ogres to suddenly find this file after so many years._ He grimaces; thinking back to the day it all began:

" _ **Sensui, please report to spirit world immediately. I have an important mission I need completed immediately." The younger spirit prince had sat back, fidgeting in his chair as he awaited the current spirit detective. This case was highly unusual, rarely did large amounts of spiritual activity occur outside of Japan; and when they did there were only a couple of instances that warranted spirit world involvement.**_

 _ **Sensui had never shown for the meeting, having been ambushed by a group of demons at the portal sight. In his panic over the threat of demons in human world Koenma had abandoned his office to check on the young man in a human hospital. Thankfully the attack hadn't drawn much attention and Sensui wasn't badly injured, only in need of some stitches and the setting of a three fingers on his left hand. By the time the spirit prince had returned the document had vanished. He and all the ogres under him had searched for months, finally giving up the hunt when Sensui stole the blackblack tape. After that it seemed the file was forgotten, more current and pressing matters constantly popping up.**_

"You must understand that the loss of documents such as these is highly unusual; spirit world has the most security and well documented… well, anyways. Sensui should have had this mission; it would have been shortly before he stole and viewed the blackblack tape. Because it has been missing for so long I believe some of the files are missing, so we'll have to make do with what we have."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a sec. What do you mean this is twenty years old!" Yuske exclaims, his jaw dropping. "How the hell do you lose something that important for that long?"

"Yuske these things happen." Kurama replies from his seat. His voice has a slight edge to it and his hands are gripping his tea cup a little too tightly. "It is interesting that spirit world would happen to lose such a file."

"Like I said before," Koenma sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off a headache. "This is a special case, and I wouldn't ask if it weren't completely necessary-"

"You ask a lot that ain't 'completely necessary' short stuff." The dark haired man grumps, crossing his arms defiantly. Yukina quirks an eyebrow at Yuske's statement but says nothing, choosing instead to focus on her tea. Kurama and Kuwubara exchange looks before rolling their eyes at the former spirit detective. Though what he says is partially true, many of their missions could be avoided by further diligence on the part of spirit world all of their missions have been crucial to the survival of humanity as well as themselves.

"Idiot" Hiei murmurs at no one in particular, shifting his ruby gaze to the forest outside. He huffs in aggravation, the fire demon would much rather be outdoors either lounging in a tree or fighting one of the lower class demons that lurk in the trees. He continues to aid in the missions under threat of Koenma retracting their deal of working off his crimes; this debt should have been paid long ago, but the spirit prince finds new ways to extend the sentence unwilling to give up one of his most valuable assets. Though it is not intended for him Yuske takes the comment to heart, jumping to his feet poised to fight.

"You wanna come say that to my face punk?" The spirit detective challenges, a growl emanating from his chest. Hiei scoffs, not bothering to look at the detective. The smaller demon knows the detective is itching for a fight, if he intended to attack the koorime he would have done so already.

"Just shut up Uramshi! I wanna get this over with." Kuwubara whines, burying his head in his hands as he slumps forward. _I'm getting too old for this shit…_

"Agreed," Kurama says. "It's getting late."

"Well on that note," Koenma begins, shuffling the file. He is unsuccessful in his attempt to make the papers lay nicely within their folder. "This case is going to be a little more challenging, not only has it been twenty years, but we didn't know much to begin with. The subject was six at the time, making her around twenty six now. We have been able to gather some more recent information, but nothing concrete."

"Oh that's helpful" Yuske grumps.

"If you think you can do a better job be my guest! Here's the file!" The toddler prince shouts, throwing the file in Yuske's general direction. However Kurama snags it out of the air and flips it open. He scans the meager contents of the manila folder a small frown creasing his delicate features, and then looks at Koenma with a single delicate eyebrow raised.

"You really are useless." The spikey haired demon states while looking over Kurama's shoulder. The papers within the folder are yellowed with age; smudges and stains obscure parts of the information. In other places the text is too faded to read. Three photographs are paper clipped to the edge; none of which are good quality.

"Well it's all we have!" Koenma whines and elaborates for the others. "We know she's originally from America. A strange energy flared from her on her sixth birthday. We lost track of her after that. Recently we discovered she was in Germany for a time before completely disappearing for almost a year. If I didn't know better I'd say she was dead; further more we have reason to believe she's currently in Japan."

"So why do we care?" Hiei asks, clearly unimpressed.

"Spirit world wants to know what that energy was. We weren't able to gather a clear reading at the time so we still have no clue what type of energy was coming from this girl." Koenma states and nods his head in a matter of fact manner. _Besides that there's a chance a demon, or group of demons, is pursuing her. What demons would want with her is a mystery, but if demons want this girl then spirit world definitely doesn't want them finding her_. He adds silently.

"Well at least give us a name." Yuske mumbles squinting at the blurry images in the file. The first image is yellowed and depicts a child. The girl appears to be five or six; a bright grin splashed across her face as she stares up at the stars. The second shows a slightly older girl who looks radically different from the first. Her face is hidden, but her body language communicates agitation and a desire to disappear. The third is of similar quality to the others, though slightly less grainy. In this picture the camera has managed to catch her face. Though this is hardly helpful as a scarf conceals her hair and lower half of her face; a few dark hairs have escaped the head dress and frame the bluest eyes the detective has ever seen.

"We, um, don't have a name" The princeling confesses sheepishly, a shameful blush staining his cheeks.

"What? Then how the hell are we supposed to find her?" Kuwubara exclaims snatching the photographs. "You can't even really see what she looks like, and these don't even look like the same girl!"

"Sorry guys, I really am, but this is all we have. It is the same girl in the photographs, I don't know why she looks so different, but the energy reading was the same each time those were taken." Koenma sighs, slouching back in his seat. An air of defeat and desperation hangs around him.

"Perfect!"Yuske snarks, "because there's no way she'd have left the country in the time it took you to find the damn file! Even assuming she hadn't whaddaya want us to do? Go around asking everyone: Hey did you move here in the last few years? Oh you did well gee, do you happen to have a weird energy about you that started when you were six?"

"Yuske, that last picture was taken three weeks ago." The spirit prince retorts, glaring at the former detective.

"A lot can happen in three weeks, diaper breath." He shoots back, crossing his arms over his chest causing the material of his shirt to tighten and reveal lean but well defined muscles.

"Come now Yuske" Kurama chuckles. "We only need to ask the women."

"Hey wait!" Kuwubara yells, suddenly excited "Couldn't Hiei just use that creepy eye of his to find her?"

"Moron." Hiei growls in frustration, glaring daggers at the carrot top from his perch on the window ledge. "That's not how the Jagan works, and even if it were what makes you think I'd want to go through the minds of all those pathetic humans?"

"Geez it was just an idea" The carrot top mutters, halfheartedly returning the glare.

"Honestly all we can do is to keep our eyes and ears open at this point." Kurama states and laces his fingers together and resting his hands on the table. By this time the tea has gone cold and been long forgotten, the sweet scent of honey and vanilla fading from the air around them.

"Thank you" Koenma sighs, "That's all I'm asking."

"Is that all Lord Koenma?" Yukina inquires, speaking for the first time since entering the room. Her candy red eyes are hard; she's clearly displeased with the spirit prince.

"Y-yes…" The toddler prince gulps, nearly dropping his pacifier in the process. With a small nod the ice maiden gathers the tea set onto its tray. Without a word Kuwubara hops up and helps her deliver the dishes to the kitchen to be loaded into the dishwasher.

"It's awfully late." Kurama says looking at his watch, earning a groan of agreement from Yuske. "I propose we spend the night here."

"Suit yourselves, goodnight." Koenma yawns and steps into a portal to spirit world. Once returned to his own realm the prince is still unable to shed the sense of foreboding that has hung around since finding the file on his desk earlier that evening. _Please find her, find out what's going on Yuske._ He prays silently, _I have a bad feeling about this._

Mae starts awake, breath caught in her throat in a soundless scream. She shudders in memory of the nightmares that plague her subconscious. Knowing sleep is a futile pursuit she drags herself from bed. It's early, well before the sun will be up. She stumbles to the bathroom and turns on the water to heat the shower. As the water begins to warm Mae turns to face the small mirror hanging over the sink. Her dyed brown hair coupled with her paper white skin cause her to appear more strange than usual. Her veins crisscross under her skin, making blue patterns in the artificial light. Her skin has become nearly transparent from the lack of sunlight, granted she does burn easily, but no sun can be just as detrimental. Frowning she notices the hair dye is starting to fade and her roots are showing. _I'm going to have to go into the town today. I wonder if all those people stayed over last night, maybe I should cook breakfast just in case… I should probably leave tonight, I don't think that girl will mind, what's her name anyways…_ she allows her mind to wander as she steps into the warm spray of the water. She scrubs her skin until it turns red from abuse, trying to ignore the puckered skin that forms the scars that litter her small frame. Lathering her hair into a thick soapy mass she thinks back to when she had to fight to get hot water for a shower in an attempt to banish her recollection of the cause of the scars she tries so desperately to ignore.

 _ **Cassidy, one of the older girls had always managed to get up earlier than everybody else and use up all the hot water. The girl had insisted she needed the extra time to get ready so she could make her 'big break.' Cassidy was an aspiring actress, constantly insisting someone just needed to look her way at the right moment. The older girl was more right than she knew; with dark thick curls always tamed into a complicated up-do and her perfect smile causing her lightly tanned skin to glow Cassidy certainly possessed the looks of a famous actress. Mae could remember pounding on the door demanding Cassidy hurry up and save some hot water for the rest of them. Cassidy would reply with a laugh that rang through the air clear as bells, popping her face out the door just long enough for her caramel colored eyes to sparkle mischievously as she winked and promised she would be out soon.**_

Mae let out a small sigh. She hasn't had to share a bathroom in so long; when she did stay in hotels she would pay the extra charge for a private bathroom, preferring the odd looks over having her secret discovered. Once the water runs cold Mae finally steps out from under the spray and towels herself dry. A frown creases her features for a moment before she carefully wipes the expression from her face; now she is ready to face another day as Rumiko.

Mae pulls out a pair of too big jeans, cinching them at the waist with a belt and slips into a grey oversized long sleeve tee. Next she applies the disgusting amount of makeup she wears every day over a generous layer of sun screen; it used to take her hours changing her face from very much of European decent to Japanese with just a hint of European. Now she can do the full transformation it about half an hour. Once finished she slips from her room, careful not to make any noise as she shuffles down the hall shoes and shoulder bag in hand. Soundless, she is able to make her way to the kitchen in order to prepare a large traditional Japanese breakfast as quickly and quietly as she can. She sighs with satisfaction as she steps back to admire her handy work. The rice and miso soup rest in large serving bowls, broiled salmon and horse mackerel are arranged on a serving tray, the natto, nori, tomagoyaki, and takuan placed in various serving dishes. Yukina enters the kitchen just as Mae sets a light green tea with floral undertones to steep.

The ice maiden looks around, slightly surprised to find her guest up so early. Her candy colored eyes widen as she sees the extent of the breakfast Mae has prepared. The full breakfast would take at least two hours to prepare and is more extensive than Yukina usually attempts by herself. The young girl has yet to notice the demoness as she places small portions onto a plate and clicks on the middle and lower ovens. Mae starts when she catches Yukina watching her and nearly drops two of the ceramic serving dishes. Recovering quickly she places the dishes back on the countertop. The younger girl turns to face her hostess, a blush dusting her cheeks. The demoness is dressed in hip hugging jeans and a rust colored sweater, the swooping neck line revealing a generous amount of cleavage. Her hair has been twisted into a half-up do, the remaining waves cascading down her back creating a teal waterfall ending just above her waist line.

"Good morning" Yukina offers with a small smile. Her bright ruby eyes dance in the overhead light, the nude eyeshadows blended into a simple smoky eye and deep black of her lashes compliment her porcelain complexion and coral painted lips causing Mae's blush to deepen. She desperately tries to hide the blush with her right sleeve, offering a small bow in return. _Wow, she was beautiful when I met her yesterday; but today she is simply breath taking…_ Taking a breath to steady herself Mae rerolls her sleeves in order to expose her hands and signs to Yukina, **good morning, what is your name?**

"What? I don't understand." Yukina states, her voice once more guarded against the strange girl. She also takes a plate and bowl of miso soup. Mae sighs and pantomimes you-called-what.

"My name?" The demoness asks around her chopsticks, no they hadn't been properly introduced thanks to Koenma finding that file she remembers. Mae nods; glad she's able to communicate with her hostess. "My name is Yukina."

Mae's brow furrows in thought, names are difficult to sigh due to the different kanji and origins. She decides to use the kanji meaning rare and endure to form the name. She turns to face Yukina and finger spells the kanji slowly so the ice maiden can follow her hand movements. Candy red eyes follow her fingers as they repeat the motions, committing the sign to memory.

"So when you sign that it means 'Yukina'?" She asks, mentally tracing the movements. Mae offers a small nod in return, signing the name once more.

"I meant to ask you last night," The demoness begins, leaning against one of the counters. "Aren't you a bit young to be travelling on your own?"

Mae shrugs turns to finish loading the ovens so the food will stay warm. Her shoulders tense under Yukina's heavy stare. _Please just let it go_ she prays, breathing a small sigh of relief when Yukina just hums at her lack of response.

"Thank you for cooking breakfast, however, my guests are very familiar with my cooking so in the future please refrain from cooking for anybody but yourself. I'm perfectly capable of preparing my own meals." Yukina remarks, Mae's face loses its color at the comment. She hadn't meant to insult the ice maiden. Yukina, however, is completely focused on the food busy noting the different spices in the dishes; _interesting, though the dishes still taste traditional there are definite flavors that are not native to Japan. The undertones come from a different country I'm sure, but where I can't place._ She takes a bite of the tamagoyaki pausing at the unfamiliar flavor. The dish is traditionally sweet and an unexpected zest attacks the woman's taste buds; Mae turns to her hostess when she sees the woman freeze. Yukina chews slowly, taking in the flavors added to the egg. A smile spreads across the ice maiden's face as she savors the tang of fruit Mae had added to the mix.

"It's good" the demoness states, unable to hide the shock in her voice. Mae lets out a breath she didn't realize she's been holding. She offers a small smile to her hostess and begins gathering the dishes. Yukina sighs and places her plate back on the counter, she knows the girl can't stay, not with the boys coming and going because of the mission. This conversation isn't going to be easy, and being unable to give a good reason as to why she can't stay isn't going to help.

"Ah, Rumiko was it? We never got to finish our conversation last night and well…" The ice apparition pauses. Taking a deep breath she decides to seek out her guest when there isn't a chance one of the guys will stumble in on their conversation. "Never mind, we'll talk later. My guests will be up soon so please try to stay out of sight today."

Mae nods her understanding; _I guess it's a good thing I need to go into town anyways._ She plunges her hands into the soapy water and scrubs the various pots and pans clean, pausing to take bites of her breakfast between dishes. Yukina sighs and places her empty plate beside the sink before wandering off to make sure no one stumbles into the kitchen unexpectedly. Finished with the dishes Mae wipes down the cooking area and sweeps the floor before disappearing from the temple.She takes the stone steps two at a time, her black shoulder bag banging against her legs. She takes her time walking to town, enjoying the leisurely sounds of nature waking up. Bird song fills the air as the sun peeks over the tree tops illuminating the dirt road leading from the temple.

By the time Mae reaches the town the sun has been up for close to an hour. Surveying the main street shops for the store to best suit her need she quickly spots a small chain corner store. She ducks into the convenience shop and snags a box of hair dye. She quickly makes her way to the bathroom, careful to avoid the shop employees ducking behind displays when she hears them approaching. Thankfully the town is small enough that there are no security cameras in the store; Mae locks herself in the bathroom jiggling the handle to make sure it takes, and proceeds to once again dye her hair dark brown. _At least this way I blend in_ She says to herself. Once the dye set she rinses her hair as best she can, not bothering to check it in the mirror. After dying her hair for years she's confident in her ability to keep it off her skin, which ruins the illusion of the hair color being natural.

Walking out of the bathroom Mae grabs two more boxes of dye before depositing some money on the front counter and slipping out of the store unseen. She stashes the dye in her bag and looks around before spotting a small coffee shop. Her mouth waters at the thought of the drink, granted the coffee would most likely be awful as it usually is in small shops, but anything to allow her to escape back to her western roots was welcomed with open arms. Checking the street to make sure it's clear of cars she saunters over to the shop.

Standing at the counter Mae kicks herself for forgetting why it is she rarely steps foot into any form of restaurant. It's always an ordeal to order anything seeing as almost no one in Japan knows any form of sign language. After about ten minutes and having to resort to writing her order on a napkin the girl at the counter finally got it: small coffee three creams no sugar. Mae shakes her head paying for the drink; it wasn't a difficult order by any means the baristas just seem to over complicate things. What with their trying to get her to buy the most expensive drinks and then trying to push the stale and chalky pastries on her.

She retrieves the steaming beverage from the counter and seats herself at one of the chic little tables that have been artfully arranged within the space. Mae sips her drink, observing the people that wander in the shop sleepy eyed and back out again not noticing the lone girl seated in the corner. Once business begins to pick up Mae finishes her drink and vacates the table, tossing her cup in the trash on her way out the door. Once on the street she stretches her arms above her head, relishing the warmth of the late autumn sun. She looks around, more businesses are opening and the streets are quickly becoming crowded. _I guess I should be heading back then. It's too late to try to find a park to wander around, plus I don't know the school schedule around here and the last thing I need is to be stopped because someone thinks I'm skipping._ Mae stuffs her hands in her pockets and ducks her head so her hair falls across her face. She hunches her shoulders ever so slightly and takes quick strides to keep up with the flow of bodies. She's practiced this pose and walk so often it is second nature, keeping her from being noticed by most everyone.

Not sparing a glance back Mae glides down the sidewalk leading to the outskirts of the town. Once off the main road leading through the town she walks in the middle of the dirt road due to the absence of traffic. A slight breeze sends a shiver through Mae as she stands in the shade of a large Japanese Oak that has rooted on the roadside. The red and gold leaves tremble on their branches, clinging to the tree in a desperate attempt to defy the coming winter. _Like fire_ she muses, watching the dancing colors for a moment arms crossed tightly to ward off the cold. Closing her eyes Mae takes a deep breath, relishing the bite of the crisp autumn air as another gust snatches leaves from their summer homes and stirs the dead leaves at her feet. Her eyes glue themselves to her shoes in a glare _I hate brown; it's the color of death. Brown has ruined my life- it stole everything, my eye color, my hair, even my skin! I may not have liked the way I looked before, but at least then I knew who I was._ Her eyes brim with tears she refuses to let fall; _I miss you mother. I know it's been nineteen years, but I still miss you…and dad before he started drinking…_

"Kurama" Hiei states; the fire demon doesn't bother opening his eyes as he can sense the fox standing beneath him. A frown fits itself on the koorime's face. Usually his senses are much sharper, but his twin's energy seems to be drowning everything else for miles.

"Something strange is going on. Yukina has continually flared her energy since our arrival last night-" The red head begins, folding his hands behind his back as he cranes his neck to see the fire demon, causing his thick red hair to fall away from his face in blood colored rivulets and hand down his back in dense streams which all but obscure the cream of his turtleneck. Before he can continue the fox is cut off by a low growl from his companion as molten ruby eyes slide open to meet his own emerald.

"If I cared for your opinions fox, I would ask for them. Leave me be." The dark haired demon hardens his eyes further as Kurama opens his mouth in protest. Hiei shifts his position on the heavy limb, causing his cloak to fall open and reveal his usual black attire. He turns away dismissively, effectively breaking eye contact and snuggles the lower half of his face into the stark white scarf he wears regardless of the temperature. The fire demon draws his cloak closed and refuses to look at his red headed friend as the fox sighs and shakes his head before turning to head back to the temple.

"We will have to talk at some point Hiei." Kurama calls over his shoulder, pausing at the door to peer across the clearing at his friend. Upon receiving no response he pulls the back door open, allowing it to slam closed as he stalks through the temple.

Mae approaches the infinite stone steps leading up the mountain. _Yukina said to stay out of sight while she has guests, but I can't go back into town it's too crowded. I don't even know if they're still at the temple and what if someone sees me?_ She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, nerves taking over and revealing compulsive habits. She pulls her dyed hair to the side and fiddles with the ends while chewing the inside of her cheek. Mae glances at the densely wooded area surrounding the steps. _She also said to stay out of the woods, but I'm sure that having someone see me would be worse._ Having made her decision she steps from the dirt road into the grass at the edge of the forest. A chill seeps down her spine as she leaves the sunlight for the unbroken shadows of the trees.

Mae whips her head around as she feels the warmth leave her cheeks. A rustling catches her attention and she wraps her arms around herself defensively. Uneasiness settles in the pit of her stomach, a heavy stone lodged in her gut that hordes of butterflies are trying to dislodge. Mae swallows heavily; she's had this feeling before. Twice, she's had this feeling and both _instances_ ended tragically. She clenches her jaw and edges further into the undergrowth; sighing in relief when the feeling dissipates. She wanders through the maze of trees, unable to navigate because of the thick foliage and uneven terrain. Once or twice the feeling returns, but only briefly as she all but stumbles over exposed roots and fallen branches.

Mae exits the tree line, staggering onto the sandy beach and into the sun. A grimace works its way across her face as she clutches her complaining stomach; having not eaten since breakfast, and having really only picked at her food has not left Mae in peak hiking condition. She surveys the beach, really it's a hole carved into the face of a cliff by the waves but, this reality allows for complete privacy from the outside world. _I'm about as alone as I can_ get she realizes with a grin. With a deep breath Mae allows her excitement to overcome her as she shrugs off her bag and oversized clothes. She giggles at the appearance of the makeup lines on her arms, not bothering to blend the area covered by clothes has left a distinct line of makeup making the disguise look ridiculous and unrealistic. With a shrug she ties up her hair, there was nobody around to see her running around in just her underwear anyways. She stretches in the warmth of the sunlight, glad she remembered to pack extra sunscreen. The heat of the sun allows her lean muscles from years of running and fending for herself to finally relax.

With a childish giggle that betrays just how young she is Mae runs into the spray of the waves, but doesn't allow the water to go above her ankles. She stops so suddenly from her full on sprint into the water that she about topples face first into the waves. Taking a deep breath she begins to retreat to the beach; it's ridiculous really, how afraid she is of open water after everything she's been through. For some reason, one that she can't explain, water terrifies her she can't even swim in a pool. Baths are too much sometimes, showers being the only thing she feels truly comfortable in. Terror overcoming her she dashes away from the water, gathering her things in her arms and retreating to the tree line. Mae pants, forcing herself to calm down, _do not panic. Don't. I can't panic, not here. Do. Not. Panic._ Once she catches her breath she slips her oversized shirt back on and makes her way back to the beach stopping just short of the lapping waves.

 _It's been forever since I've seen the ocean. I remember going once with the orphanage, but the sisters made me stay inside so I wouldn't get sunburned so it doesn't really count._ She smiles sadly wishing she could stay on this beach forever, warm sand between her toes and sticking to her thighs. The gentle beat of the waves would sing her to sleep each night and whisper her awake the following mornings; maybe she'd even overcome her fear of water and swim in the endless, rolling blue before her. The daydream allows a small, but genuine smile to rest upon her face for the first time in months; but Mae knows in a few weeks it will be time for her to move on. _Don't overstay your welcome, keep moving, and stay hidden_ she reminds herself. It's the only way to keep them, whoever they are, from finding her. She knows they are still looking, they'd almost found her six months after she moved to Japan. She'd been careless in Germany, being snatched up only a short while after deciding to settle down; once she escaped she swore to never let it happen again. She'd thought moving to the other side of the world would be enough; but she came back to the little place she'd found to smoldering ashes and bodies littering the ground for blocks. Just like D.C., just like the halfway house. Ever since then she'd never stayed in one place more than a few weeks. _Today though,_ she decided, _today I can be twenty five and spend a day at the beach._ With that she scoops up some sand and begins to construct a crudely hideous sand castle.

"Shouldn't you be out looking for that girl?" Yukina asks softly, placing the last plate on the table as the group gathers for supper. A small line of sweat has gathered along her hairline throughout the day as she continually flared her energy. Normally she doesn't push the guys so hard to start their cases as many of them are dangerous and the ice maiden cares deeply for her friends, but she knows she can't continue to flare her energy in such a manner without exhausting herself and making the others suspicious.

"We don't even know who we're looking for." Yuske counters, piling his plate high with the fragrant stir fry and plopping down in his usual seat. He begins shoveling food in his mouth, pausing between bites to speak. "Besides I feel like I've earned a break, I'm not that brat's errand boy despite what he thinks."

"Yeah, I'm sure spirit world can wait a few more days." Kuwubara adds sitting between the dark haired man and the ice apparition.

"Is that what you said about me?" Yukina asks her voice cold as her candy colored eyes harden. She glares at Kuwubara through her lashes. Internally she cringes, she knows this isn't what the boys meant but she really needs to get them out of the temple long enough to send the girl away. Her statement causes Kurama and Hiei to pause, the fire demon stiffening at the accusation.

"N-no, of course not Yukina!" Kuwubara stutters, turning a bright shade of red. Both he and Yuske are oblivious to the rigid set of Hiei's shoulders and stern bites he's taking. The red headed fox glances at the koorime from the corner of his eye as the fire demon attacks his food with his chopsticks, biting down on the untensils hard enough it's a miracle they haven't been bitten through. Hiei refuses to acknowledge the fox, "that was different!"

"Is it though?" Kurama asks in an attempt to break the gathering tension. "This girl has been on the run for who knows how many years-living in fear…"

"Fine, fine whatever." Yuske mutters into his tea. "We'll start in the morning. We'll split up into pairs and start by checking the surrounding towns and villages."

"Good, Hiei and I will take the outlying villages since we travel faster on foot. We should come up with a cover so we don't seem out of place." Kurama states in between bites, glad when the air clears as the plans are laid out.

"Well, not too out of place." Yuske comments looking at Hiei, a smirk forming on the former detective's face at the thought of the surly demon wearing human street clothes.

"I'm not wearing your stupid ningen clothes." The fire demon growls, refusing to look up from his plate.

"I'm sure it will be fine Yuske. We can tell them we're relatives of the girl; she's obviously wearing some foreign styles. Many who live in small villages don't keep up with the western world so they will simply assume Hiei doesn't live in Japan." Kurama explains, his trademark smile falling into place. Kuwubara nods thoughtfully, considering the idea carefully.

"Yeah, from what I could see she looks Japanese but a lot of Japanese business men travel so explaining the way she looks shouldn't be hard. Besides in larger towns girls dress in strange styles all the time. So it's a plan, we'll hit as many towns as we can travel to and from in a day, using the temple as the central point." A huge grin plasters itself across the carrot top's face. Yuske nods, chewing on the idea for a moment before grunting his agreement; Kurama peers at the fire demon once more, he only makes a small noncommittal noise in response.

A weight summons Mae from her fitful sleep; her eyes snap open. Ignoring the scraping dryness of the contacts in her eyes she scours the shore line for the weight that drew her from her slumber. With a strangled cry she starts, realizing the tide has risen in her sleep and she's been caught in the waves. She tries to smother the panic that swells within her chest as she scrambles to her feet. Her soaking top clings to her, water streaming down her legs as she scrambles further up the beach thankful she'd left her remaining belongings further up. _I can't believe I fell asleep! How could I be so stupid? Ohmigod, what time is it, how long have I been asleep?_ Mae regards the rising moon warily as she pulls her pants, socks, and shoes back on shivering at the cool northern breeze. The gentle wind causes her dripping shirt to cling more vigorously to her skin, eliciting a series of shivers. _Maybe I should just stay here. I don't know if I can find my way back in the dark…or at all. Damn that was stupid, I'm going to have to make a fire just so I don't freeze my ass off tonight. Stupid Japanese weather, stupid winter, stupid, stupid, stupid…_ A howl from the forest cements her decision, there's no way she's going to waltz into the trees just to get eaten by whatever the hell that was. Mae gathers some drift wood and the emergency lighter from her bag to start a fire, figuring she has a better chance of not getting eaten if she stays further from the tree line. This causes her to build the fire about half way between the lapping waves and looming trees as she settles next to the comforting blaze she doesn't even glance upward, too afraid to spare any thought for the twinkling stars illuminating the sand. Taking a deep breath to steady herself Mae knows she can't risk falling asleep again and begins reciting the prayers seared into her memory by the church. _The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…_


	4. Chapter 3

The sun has yet to rise as Yukina summons her companions to the kitchen for breakfast. First she wakes her human companions, knowing Kurama and Hiei will be much easier to wake. After several pleas and threats the ice maiden is finally able to rouse the former spirit detective by dumping a bucket of ice over him. A simple threat of similar treatment is all that is needed to coax the carrot top from his room. Awake but bleary eyed, Yuske and Kuwubara drag themselves to the table at the far end of the kitchen, and begin mechanically shoveling food into their mouths. Satisfied the ice maiden exits the temple in search of Hiei; she knows he's more likely outside than in.

Kurama leans against the counter sipping his tea as Yukina reenters the kitchen, leaving the door ajar for the fire demon. Though awake, he's wrapped himself in a large comforter to ward off the cold autumn morning. Ivory sleeves peak out from under the blanket as the red head shifts the cup to his mouth and takes a slow pull from the steaming contents. She greets the fox with a smile, grateful he's saved her the trouble of fetching him. The red head nods politely in return before refocusing on the tea he's nursing. Turning to the bento she's prepared the ice maiden places the finishing touches in each before closing them up and placing the owner's name on the lids. By the time she's finished the small task Hiei is standing just inside the doorway, frost from the morning chill coats the tips of his hair and the hem of his cloak.

"Hiei, there you are! I gathered some human clothes for you, if you'd like them." Yukina states as she smiles sweetly at the koorime. Unable to verbally rebuke the kind demoness, Hiei simply wrinkles his nose and shakes his head. The ice maiden shrugs her shoulders, causing her long hair to sway slightly and fall down her back. Kuwubara slurps at his breakfast to disguise the drool gathering in his mouth at the sheer beauty of her. Her mint colored hair contrasts sharply with the black turtleneck dress she wears. The garment is cinched at the waist with a maroon belt; matching boots cover her calves and knees allowing for only the tiniest bit of skin to show. The carrot top's eyes follow the ice apparition as she seemingly floats about the kitchen, a rather obvious blush spreading across his face as he imagines her skirt shifting just a few inches higher.

Yukina ducks out of the kitchen momentarily to catch her breath, she feels better this morning but continually flaring her energy throughout the night didn't allow the ice apparition to sleep, instead she opted to meditate in a restful and aware state until she was to rise in the morning. She glances up and down the hallway, breathing a sigh of relief when she doesn't see her young guest. _It's a little odd though, I thought I would have seen or heard her by now. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't look a horse's gift in the mouth…or however that saying goes._ Taking a deep breath Yukina plasters a smile on before returning to the kitchen to shoo the boys on their way.

Having finally ridded herself of her friends for the day, with promises supper will be ready upon their return, Yukina allows her energy to dwindle down to almost nonexistent. Her arms stretch above her head as the ice maiden stretches in relief. She hums contentedly to herself as she sets about cleaning the remaining breakfast dishes. _I need to run into town today, the temple needs some groceries. I do need to talk to Rumiko though, I guess I could do that after; the guys won't be home until late this evening…_

Mae jolts awake, panting, eyes darting to take in her surroundings. Panicking, she rises and begins to pace. She wrings her hands with each step, uncaring that her carefully maintained make up will smear. _Deep breathes,_ she tells herself, trying to back away from the mental ledge she teeters on. The sound of the waves crashing violently upon the rocky cliffs surrounding the beach draws her attention, allowing her panic to momentarily subside. Her breath comes in puffs due to the cold wind from the oncoming storm evident by the rough waters. _I should try to get back, I really don't want to get caught here during an autumn storm; besides it should be fairly close to dawn, not that the sun will be coming out today…_ As if to confirm her suspicions raindrops begin to patter onto the sand, within seconds the soft rainfall becomes a downpour. Mae quickly gathers her things silently cursing the rain for stealing the warmth of her fire and heads into the forest, determined to find her way back to the temple before she's missed.

Despite her early start Mae is no closer to the temple than she was hours ago. _At least I think it's been hours, the sun still hasn't come out and even if it did I don't think I'd be able to see it through the trees._ Rain filters through the foliage, landing on the surrounding terrain with soft plinks and hollow plops. Thunder rumbles through the clouds above, causing some of the smaller trees to tremble as if afraid of the sound. With a small sigh and a glare towards the sky she continues on her way and manages to stumble over yet another log, probably the fifth one since starting her trek. The lack of light due to the storm and having had to sleep in her contacts wasn't helping her vision at all. _I really thought this was the way I came. At this rate I'll be lucky to make it back to the temple at all._ Mae was beginning to grow frustrated; it feels as though she's walking in circles even though she hasn't changed direction once. She swears the forest is messing with her, if that were at all possible.

"Fucking hell!" She shouts as her feet go out from under her, bag sliding away and down the hill she has been trying to navigate. Instantly she claps her hands over her mouth and looks around, but there's no one there to hear. It has been so long since she'd spoken that she's almost forgotten what her voice sounds like. Silently she berates herself for cursing; the nuns at the halfway house would've had her hide for talking like that. _Mother Mary forgive me_ she prays silently out of habit, more for breaking her vow of silence than the curse that had left her mouth.

Mae sits up brushing the leaves and dirt from her hands, past the point of trying to save her make up. She's resigned herself to planning to sneak back into the temple so her hostess won't question her further; with a sigh she looks around for her bag spotting it a few feet down the hill, caught on a sapling. Swiping her hair out of her face she makes her way down the steep incline. Her mind begins to wander back to the first time she'd found out about her curse, the cause for her vow of silence.

" _ **Mae, come here." Mother Prior said gently sitting on the edge of the small bed in a row of beds and pulling the twelve year old into her arms. The child's white hair floats in a tangled mess around her head, reminding the nun of a dandelion. The girl has buried her face in her knees and is hugging herself tightly as snot and tears run down her face in a salty mess.**_

" _ **Just leave me alone," Mae sobbed, swiping at her nose in anger. "I'm a monster."**_

" _ **Now why would you say that?" Mother Prior asked, wiping the tears from Mae's cheeks gently.**_

" _ **Because" she sniffled, "I make people do things. I make them do things and I don't mean to, honest!"**_

 _ **The child once again dissolved into hysterical sobs, but didn't pull away from the comforting figure. The elderly nun sighed, petting the girl's hair "like what?"**_

" _ **I- I told Billy Joel…I didn't mean to! He just pushed me and it made me so mad!" Twelve year old Mae explained, her little hands balled into fists. Her face was red and tears still leaked from the corners of her eyes, but at least she was sharing the blame at this point the Mother consoles herself.**_

" _ **And?"**_

" _ **And I told him to eat shit" she finished, her voice soft. "And he did! Someone didn't pick up the dog poo and it was sitting there and- and he just ate it!"**_

 _ **Mother Prior looked shocked, but believed all gifts, no matter how strange, were from God and was to be looked upon as blessings. Still, she put a hand over her mouth to hide a bemused smirk. Billy Joel was a terrible child and cruel to the other children, maybe this would serve as a lesson.**_

" _ **I see" the nun said, knowing that Mae would have to suffer the consequences of her actions. "Well Mae, this is why God tells us to only speak kind words. Understand?"**_

 _ **The little girl nodded, blue eyes still shining from unshed tears.**_

" _ **Good now come to supper." Mother Prior rose to lead the girl from the room; her punishment could wait until after the evening meal she decides.**_

A twig snapping brings Mae back to the present. The forest had grown darker since she had last noticed. _I've been wandering around all day!_ She realizes feeling a sense of dread overcome her; she looks around, her breath catching in her throat when she spots a pair of glowing eyes looking back at her.

Yukina makes her way up the path leading to the temple, carting two nearly overflowing bags of groceries with her. Upon entering the kitchen she hefts the over full paper bags onto the counter and summons the energy to place the items in their proper homes. Her energy has begun to return to normal levels, but she still feels exhausted after covering her guest's energy with her own for so long. _I will definitely be taking a nap after I talk to Rumiko_ , the ice apparition decides, _there should be plenty of time after sending her off to put supper on… Now where is she?_ Yukina makes her way toward the far room, peeking in the larger areas to check for the girl. Having arrived at the room Yukina raps lightly on the frame before poking her head in.

"Rumiko? Rumiko are you here?" The ice maiden stepped into the room, glancing at the copious amounts of makeup piled on the writing desk. A small frown creased her features as she realized her guest hadn't been back to the temple since the previous night. Her scent was stale within the room and only a single set of worn clothes rested in the corner, indicating they were dirty. Becoming increasingly worried Yukina made her way back to the kitchen. _I'll have to tell the guys when they get home….Hiei's going to be furious, not that the others will be especially happy with me…_

It was late into the evening when Yuske and Kuwubara returned, practically dragging themselves to the dinner table before flopping down exhausted. They'd been through this town and two others during the day, searching for strange energy signatures and hanging posters with the girl's picture on it. Yuske sighed as he stretched, his joints popping. Granted it was only the first day, but he'd been hoping they would find the girl almost immediately and close the case quickly. Hiei stormed into the dining room, glaring at the carrot top who returned his hot gaze evenly. After a moment the fox demon joined the three looking equally worn and frustrated by their futile search.

"No luck?" Kuwubara asked shifting his gaze.

"What gave that away" Hiei snapped stomping past them, not even bothering to look at the meal Yukina had prepared for them slouching in the window.

"What's his problem?" The carrot top muttered resting his head on the table once more.

"Ah, you know…" Kurama trailed off, tilting his head to the side. "Do either of you sense that?"

"Sense what?" Yuske asked with a yawn, stretching until his joints popped.

"Yeah, I just can't figure out what it is." Kuwubara muttered scratching the back of his head with one large hand, sitting up to stretch.

"Oh there you are!" Yukina exclaimed carrying the last dish into the dining area. She hadn't been sure when to expect the return of her companions so she'd prepared dinner to be ready just after dark, thankfully her guess was correct and the food was still hot. She took a breath, preparing to explain herself to her friends before too many questions could be asked. The demoness had refrained from flaring her energy during the day in hopes that the guys would be able to begin sensing her missing guest.

"Yes here I am sweet Yukina!" Kuwubara boasted, earning a withering glare from the small fire demon. Yukina chuckles, setting the remaining serving dish on the table with a blush. She tucks a stray hair away and folds her hands in her lap; staring at the table where she is seated, trying to gather the courage to admit her mistake to the people she holds dearest. Kurama's eyes narrow ever so slightly, he can barely feel the ice maiden's energy in comparison to the levels it was at the day before. He laces his fingers together, looking pointedly at their hostess.

"Yukina…" he begins, unwilling to outright accuse her with Hiei in the room. Instead he changes his posture, resting his chin on his hands and relaxing his shoulders to appear less threatening and more receptive. "Is everything alright?"

"Honestly? No," She begins, dropping her candy colored eyes even further to escape the shame she feels at her secret. The energy in the room rises at her simple comment; Yuske and Kuwubara are suddenly tense and alert while Hiei rests his hand on the hilt of his katana, energy scanning the surrounding area for threats. "I've made a terrible mistake… I allowed a visitor-"

"You what!" The carrot top shouts, the question nonexistent in his rage. He has pushed himself from the table, his spirit energy swirling dangerously around his hand in preparation to form his trademark sword. "I swear if the bastard laid one finger-"

"Calm yourself Kuwubara." The fox interjects, though his eyes are locked on Hiei whose fury dwarfs their human friend's. As if knowing the message is also meant for him the fire demon swallows the growl building in his throat and resumes his seat on the windowsill. "Yukina, why would you allow someone to stay at the temple? Furthermore why would you keep something like that from us until now?"

"I knew you wouldn't approve." She sighs, slumping in defeat. "It was a human girl, but there was something odd about her…"

"So not only do you allow a stranger into the temple, but there is something _**odd**_ about her!" Hiei spits, causing the ice maiden to flinch. His eyes have narrowed to slits and his weapon is half drawn, it is apparent the small demon is ready to kill the intruder. Kurama rubs his temples wearily, "If you would just allow her to finish-"

"Yeah shorty don't you know it's rude to interrupt people!" Kuwubara growls, and turns his frustration to the fire demon.

"Please!" Yukina exclaims, rising to her feet. The men turn back to face her, tension still high though they are no longer at each other's throats. "I know it was a mistake, but please allow me to explain. This girl, Rumiko, she asked to stay here. I don't know why, maybe I was curious, maybe I felt bad for her, but I let her stay. I placed her in Genkai's old room. It was only supposed to be for a few days, I thought you'd never know. She's human, I thought it would be harmless, but now she's missing… I think she may have wandered off into the forest, and- and I'd never forgive myself if something happened to her because of me."

"Yukina…" Kurama starts, this is beyond complicated. "Have you done something like this before?"

"No, this is the first time." She sighs, reclaiming her seat. They sit in silence, the four shocked that the gentle demoness would go behind their backs in such a manner.

"It's not your fault if the human gets eaten." Hiei's voice cuts through the air like a knife. The ice maiden's head snaps up, her eyes locking on his.

"How dare you." She growls, "After all Genkai did for me, for all of us. You'd think you of all people would understand giving shelter to a helpless child. Shame on you Hiei, of course it's my fault, I shouldn't have hidden her presence from you that much is true. But it is my fault if something happens to her, she's my responsibility, ever since she stepped on the property she's been my responsibility. If you won't help me look for her then I'll go myself!"

At the conclusion of her speech the fire demon let a low growl resonate through the room before flitting away. Yukina huffed, crossing her arms and refusing to look at the now empty window. The remaining three exchange glances before rising to follow their companion on the search. Yuske, who's been surprisingly quiet through the whole ordeal stops in the doorway. "Just to be clear Yukina, we're doing this for you, not her- as far as this stranger's concerned I'm with Hiei."

"Yuske!" Kurama scolds before turning back to Yukina. "To clarify, what does this girl look like? Not that I expect there to be many human girls wandering around Genkai's enchanted forest."

"Oh, um, she's relatively short; medium length dark hair, dark eyes… nothing really stood out about her." The demoness pauses, tapping her chin with a single elegant finger. "Except her energy, it seemed to be human, but something was off about it, I can't really place it though. That's all."

"I see." Was her only response as her friends disappeared into the night, Kurama pausing just within her line of sight. "You should stay here in case she returns on her own."

The small fire demon flits through the trees grumbling to himself about foolish ice maidens and manipulative siblings when he spotted her. He drops to the ground, a twig snapping beneath his boots. The girl's head snaps up, eyes wide. He can only just make her out in the dim moonlight filtering through the trees. From what he can see she's nothing special. There's literally nothing interesting about her, she's just a normal, stupid human girl. _How typical_ Hiei smirks _humans never pay attention to their surroundings. This could be fun._ He chuckles darkly deciding to make a game of catching her, scaring the young girl would be the most fun he's had in weeks. Plus she won't be hard to subdue, _like hunting a mouse_ he says to himself. She looks around wildly paling when her eyes meet his. Smirking to himself he steps into a gap in the foliage, allowing the starlight to illuminate him. The fire demon makes a truly terrifying picture. Blood red eyes the only discernable feature, his hair casting his face in shadow and his cloak obscuring the rest of him; Hiei looks like something out of a nightmare. Mae steps back crossing herself. She could feel herself shaking like a tree in a hurricane, she wasn't sure what it was, but something about this man felt wrong.

He took another step toward her, his eyes narrowing. _What the hell is she doing with her hands._ Mae gasps; his eyes were glowing in the dim light. Without further thought she did the only thing she could, she ran. Hiei growled, of course she would run. They dodge around trees and boulders, the girl is faster than Hiei expects, not that he has any trouble keeping up with her; then just as he's sure he has her, the girl ducks his grasp and sprints away. The game no longer amusing him the fire demon catches up to his prey with little effort and grabs the strap of the bag she was carrying. Mae shrugs it off and runs harder leaping over large rocks and exposed roots. Hiei growls again becoming annoyed at the girl's determination to get away from him. The threatening sound echoes in the night air, a predator closing in on its prey. Mae feels hands on her and spins out of his grip, there is a clearing just ahead, _If I can get across the clearing maybe I can lose him_. The fire demon scowls; he was done with this game. He snatches her up at the tree line, one arm around her waist and the other holding his katana to her neck.

"Struggle and I'll slit your throat." He snarls into her ear, the moonlight glinting off the edge of his weapon. _She's smaller than Yukina_ he notices, surprised; the demoness was small by demon standards, though she did range at average human height. Mae stills instantly and allows herself to go limp in his arm, ignoring the press of steel against her throat. Hiei sheathes his sword disgusted at her sudden surrender. "Pathetic."

As soon as his grip loosens Mae jerks away with all her strength and she almost breaks free too, but Hiei is too fast and too strong. Her shirt shifts during their brief struggle, exposing part of her stomach; as the fire demon's grip tightens his hand brushes her bare hip. He's shocked at the girl's actions, but that shock quickly turns to anger _how dare she! How dare she think she could over power and outsmart me!_ Without thinking he rips off the cloth covering his Jagan and forces his way into her head, intent on causing as much pain as possible. He meets an invisible barrier in the girl's mind, unable to fully enter Hiei settles for pounding against the mental barrier with all his strength, a satisfied smirk playing across his lips as the barrier begins to fracture. Mae's eyes glaze over, she didn't know what was happening; all she can focus on is the pain, the extreme, excruciating, white hot, blinding pain. A voice pierces the air, ringing through the pain clear as a bell and bringing it to a dizzying halt. Mae shivers at the sudden absence of the presence in her head, she feels feverish and the cool night air chills her to the bone.

"Hiei" the fox demon stands across the clearing, arms crossed. "I see you found her."

The Jaganshi's eyes met Kurama's emerald. Hiei looked dangerous, sword half drawn and fangs bared an angry snarl distorting his face. The girl hangs limply in his grasp, if it wasn't for her fluttering heart beat and gasping breaths the fox would have assumed her dead. The fire demon blinked once, twice, his face returning to its usual neutral frown. He drops the girl, allowing her to crumple to the ground in a shuddering heap and steps back. What had come over him?

Mae lies in the grass; her vision was too clouded to make out what was going on around her. She blinks in an attempt to clear it; there was someone else in the clearing-someone that could help her! **Help me** she signs desperately, her hands shaking hard enough the fox was having trouble understanding her frantic movements. **Please help me.** Kurama looks at her curious, not many people in Japan can sign or even know sign language exists; the fact that this girl is silent in light of her trauma and signing for help intrigues him greatly.

"Hiei" he states dangerously. "What did you do?"

The smaller demon doesn't answer, only glaring at his companion, daring him to do anything. His eyes snapped down as Mae struggles to stand. Only his eyes follow her as she takes three staggering steps before her legs collapse out from under her. Kurama glances at Hiei, who can't hold his emerald gaze, the red head strides across the clearing stopping a few feet from the girl. She must be who Yukina had been hosting: dark mid length hair, and short stature paired with her human energy are all confirmations of this, though Kurama isn't close enough to see her eyes. He notes how easily it would be to pass by her and not notice the girl; sparing Hiei one final look he approaches the girl slowly. The fox periodically glimpses at the fire demon to make sure he isn't going to change his mind about the fox's interference. Something about her had pissed the fire demon off, more than humans usually did, and this alone gives Kurama reason to be cautious.

Mae manages to regain her feet and was holding her arms out for balance. Her ears are ringing and she still can't see; tears fill her eyes as terror begins to set in, but she blinked them away not willing to give her attacker the satisfaction of seeing her cry. _I can't go back, I can't…_ She hates these stupid contacts, but with others here she couldn't risk letting them see her real eye color, if they aren't sure who she is seeing their true cobalt color will definitely assure her identity. Mae manages to take another step, ignoring the hair in her face. One more step. She'd lost her shoes running through the forest; she could feel the damp of the ground on her feet. One more step. She'd sprained something, probably when she'd been grabbed; gritting her teeth she ignores it. One more step.

Mae felt hands on her and every muscle in her small body tenses. The gentle hands remove themselves momentarily before reappearing; Kurama moves his hands to support her, careful not to startle the jumpy girl. The fox pauses as he feels a jolt run through him, for some inexplicable reason he felt a sudden animosity toward the girl. Kurama shudders, fighting the urge to let his plants tear her to pieces. Mae feels his hands stiffen around her biceps, where previously she was being supported; it now felt like she was going to be restrained once more. He notices she's trembling under his touch and pushes the strange feeling away, "Shhh, I'm not going to hurt you. Let's get you back to the temple. Yukina is worried sick about you."

 **Yukina** she signs weakly. _Is she mute?_ Kurama wonders, once again noting the oddness of her lack of speech but thankful he knew a bit of sign language. "Yes, Yukina, would you like me to carry you?"

Mae tenses further and shook her head, but after a moment nods knowing she'll never make it back to the temple shoeless and unable to see. Kurama moves to pick her up and she collapses into his arms exhausted, no longer caring if these are her captors. It's too late to escape anyways. The red head raises himself to his full height, holding her like a small child. Her arms are draped over his shoulders and her face rests against his neck, her breath coming in even, but shallow puffs. One of his strong arms supported her legs which hang limply around his waist, the other supports her back to make sure she didn't accidently fall backwards. He feels the strange anger fade away; _curious_ , he thought, _I'll definitely have to do some research about this._

Hiei had watched her stumble away from him. _I don't understand; how could I lose control like that?_ He plays the events of the last few minutes over in his mind, watching himself attack the helpless girl over and over. He made no move to help or stop Kurama as he approached the girl. A sense of disgust begins to fill the smaller demon, never before has he attacked such a defenseless creature with no reason; even in his years wandering he'd only chosen opponents who he felt could handle themselves in a fight. Even now, as the fox cradles the child, _she's only a child_ , the fire demon realizes, and turns to face the smaller demon the red head's eyes are cold and his face stoic.

"You coming Hiei?" Kurama asks, narrowing his eyes at his companion's indifference. The fire demon ignores the glare, keeping his face carefully neutral and follows them back to the temple where the others were waiting.

"Put her down here." Yukina instructs, gesturing to a couch in the large entertainment room. Kurama nods and gently places the girl on the couch careful not to disturb her; the girl had fallen asleep on the short hike back, and Kurama was beginning to understand why the ice maiden had allowed the girl to stay, though he still didn't trust the girl. After placing her on the couch and pulling a throw blanket over her delicate form the fox straightens and turns to his companions. "There are some things we need to discuss."

"I agree." The detective states, crossing his arms "I felt Hiei's energy flare out there, what happened? Did she attack you guys?"

"No" the red head replies, his eyes sliding across to meet the smaller demon's. "Unless there was something I missed?"

Hiei glares at his companions, refusing to look at the girl in question. He can feel the weight of their stares all but crushing him. The fox steps forward, less accusing than before, but Hiei steps back his boot making contact with the wall. Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer he grinds out "I don't owe any of you an explanation."

"Hiei, what happened?" Yukina inquires, tears threatening to fall. More ashamed now than before, the fire demon decides to offer an explanation. "I found her wandering around; when she saw me the stupid girl ran. I caught her easily… and used my Jagan to subdue her."

"You _**what**_?" Kuwubara shouts, grabbing the smaller demon by his cloak. Hiei's eyes narrow dangerously as he bats the carrot top's hands away. "I don't stutter, oaf."

"Kuwubara, back off," Yuske says, pulling the large man away and effectively backing the fire demon into a corner. Hiei bears his fangs, taking a defensive stance at being cornered. His eyes are dangerous now, his demonic energy swirls through the air menacingly. Before more accusations can be uttered a groan draws the group's attention. Their guest pushes herself to a half seated position, her hair falling across her face and obscuring her features. Yukina kneels by the couch, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder to gain her attention.

"Rumiko… Rumiko are you alright?" The demoness asks gently, her face filled with concern for a girl she barely knows. The ice maiden notices the tears and snags in the girl's shirt, revealing paper white skin beneath. _Her hands and face are paler than I remember, why would she go through so much trouble to hide the color of her skin?_ Yukina frowns; this girl is turning out to be a lot more trouble than the ice maiden had originally bargained for. The girl shivers in her damp clothing, pulling the throw blanket up to cover herself once more. "You're safe now. We're at the temple…"

Yukina trails off, noticing the girl doesn't seem to be reacting to what she's being told. Mae blinks slowly, trying desperately to clear her vision. She knows her make up is a mess, and is sure she'll be discovered if she looks up. "Rumiko?"

Kurama kneels next to the ice maiden, Yuske and Kuwubara gathering behind them leaving Hiei across the room. Kuwubara glares at the smaller demon, daring him to join the group; as far as the carrot top is concerned their guest's state is entirely the fault of the Jaganshi. Kurama offers his companions a reassuring smile, though the action seems strained, before turning to speak to the strange girl. "Rumiko, isn't it? My name is Kurama; I'm the one who brought you back to the temple. Rumiko, can you hear me?"

At the red head's final question she nods, allowing more of her hair to fall over her face further obscuring her features. Kurama sighs wearily. "There's no need to be frightened. We aren't going to hurt you-"

"Yeah, kiddo, you got nothing to worry about!" Yuske interjects, slapping her back playfully. A large rip in her shirt allows his hand to brush her bare back, earning a shudder from both parties. Yuske jerks his hand away, his claws threatening to lengthen as he fights reverting to his demonic form. Rage threatens to consume the detective as the fox rises and physically pulls the dark haired man away from the couch. Yukina and Kuwubara watch, eyes wide, as Yuske takes deep shuddering breaths in order to regain control. Once composed a low, threatening growl rips itself from his chest. "What the _**hell**_ was _**that**_?"

Hiei's crimson eyes snap to the group gathered around the couch. _So it's her…but what exactly is it?_ Deciding to risk using his Jagan once more the fire demon attempts to enter the girl's mind, but finds himself once again blocked by a seemingly invisible barrier. Deciding stealth is the best option he retreats to his own mind only to catch the fox casting a questioning glance his way to which the fire demon shakes his head. At the Jaganshi's response Kurama's mouth sets into a stern line, "Yukina, perhaps Yuske could help you make some tea?"

The spirit detective knows the suggestion is a ploy to remove him from the room, but doesn't argue as he is ushered away. The ice maiden pauses in the doorway, her crimson eyes filled with concern. "I'll bring a rag to clean her up as well."

This earns a nod from the fox as he returns to the couch, pulling the coffee table closer in order to sit on it. Giving the girl no warning he grasps her chin, forcing her to face him. Startled she thrashes violently, her nails ripping at his hand and wrist leaving small scratches and cuts behind. "Kuwubara go call Koenma."

The firm tone of the fox's voice leaves no room for argument. As the carrot top rises to call the spirit prince he winces at the rough treatment of the girl when Kurama slaps her hands away, tightening his grip on her jaw. Though his code of honor pushes him to say something about the rough treatment the large man's worry for his friends outweighs his concern for the stranger seated on their couch. Once Kuwubara is gone the fox jerks the girl's head so she would be looking directly into his eyes. His brow furrows when her eyes refuse to focus, his frown deepening upon noticing the costume contacts she's wearing. Muttering he expertly removes the offending lenses, "What exactly are you hiding from? Why go through all this trouble to disguise yourself?"

Mae refuses to answer, though she does remain still for fear of him taking out an eye while removing her contacts. She fights the tears that threaten to build behind her eyes, unwilling to show any weakness to her captors. Having removed the contacts Kurama is now able to properly observe the damage done to the girl's eyes. "Your eyes have over dilated, can you see anything?"

 **A little, I can make out colors now.** She signs warily, not sure whether or not to trust the man who seemed to be her savior only a short time prior. The red head releases her with a small sigh, rubbing his temples wearily. "I figured as much, it must be an effect from…earlier. I will have to administer a medication for your eyes to return to normal."

"Kurama, the tea's ready." Yukina announces, reentering the living area with Yuske in tow. "However, I believe it would be better if Rumiko were to bathe and change… if that's alright with you?"

"Yes, I believe you're right." He replies, noting how tense the girl had become at the mention of medicating her. Determined to receive some answers, and relieve his suspicions the fox pulled a seed from his hair. Feeding energy to the plant he plucked a single violet bloom from the demon plant before retracting his energy and allowing the plant to become dormant once more. Handing the blossom to the ice maiden he offered a simple explanation for his actions. "This should help to remove any _poisons_ from her skin from wandering around. Please have her use the sap as she would soap when bathing."

Understanding that the demon flower would remove all of her makeup much more easily than human soaps the demoness simply nods in return, taking the offered bloom carefully. She then places a gentle hand on part of Mae's arm that is still covered and helps the girl to her feet. They leave the room in slow shuffling steps, Yukina leading the young girl gently; trying to make sure she didn't run into anything. Once their footsteps disappeared Kurama rose and seated himself in one of the arm chairs, glaring heatedly at the couch.

"Koenma's on his way." Kuwubara announces, leaning against the frame for the entertainment center. The fox nods, but says nothing, continuing to try melting the offending furniture with his gaze. _Who is this girl exactly? I have my suspicions that she is the one from the file, though she looks too young. Her energy signature is strange though; if only Koenma had given us more in that file…I suppose the point is moot now…_

"Kurama, earth to Kurama, is anybody home?" Yuske asks waving a hand in front of the red head's face. This action only earns him a glare from the man in question. "I was asking what you're thinking so hard about over there."

Kurama hmms in response, but says nothing to reveal his thoughts. "We'll discuss my suspicions once Koenma is present."

Mae allows her hostess to lead her from the room of hostiles back to her previous quarters. They walk in silence, pausing only to open the door to the room and flick the lights on. Once in the room the cool grasp of the ice maiden disappears as she moves to heat the water for the shower. "I will wait here while you bathe. I trust you don't need my assistance?"

Mae shakes her head and moves to the bathroom, sliding the door shut. Stripping the ruined clothing from herself Mae steps into the warm spray of the shower, popping her shampoo bottle open and grimacing at the scent of the plant Yukina had squeezed into her soaps. Blinking a few more times Mae sighs in relief as she notices her vision beginning to return to normal. Knowing she can't hide in the shower forever and the hot water will eventually run out she squeezes the offending smelling gunk onto her hand before working it through her hair. Despite the strange smell the shampoo tingles pleasantly on her scalp, though she doesn't notice the dark, sickly color of the water as she rinses her hair. Continuing to scrub Mae smiles to herself at how easily this soap removes her makeup, relishing the pleasant tingle of the plant. Though a slight frown replaces the smile at not having to scrub herself raw when she remembers she will be unable to reapply the makeup before rejoining her captors. Feeling the water begin to cool and the fragments of an escape plan pawing at the edges of her mind Mae finishes quickly, shutting the water off and wrapping herself in several oversized towels. Her vision having returned to normal Mae slides the door open with little trouble and reenters her room to find Yukina waiting for her as promised. The ice maiden gasps at the sight before her, the girl is unrecognizable. Before where her skin was a typical burnt almond tone it was now the color of freshly fallen snow; her hair was hidden beneath one of the monstrous towels, though the demoness could see a few white strands clinging to the girl's neck. More striking than either of these were her eyes, the contacts had been a forgettable brown, but her true eye color rivaled the blue of sapphires.

"I couldn't find any smaller clothes in your things." She says with a small blush, "but I did manage to find an old kimono I believe might be your size. Would you like help putting it on?"

Mae scowls, her plan of escape out the window, there's no way she can run in a traditional kimono. Her sour expression causes Yukina to gasp lightly, place the folded clothing on the desk and retreat into the hall. Mae knows there's no chance of escape with her door being guarded, one wrong move and her host turned jailer would alert the others. With a resigned sigh she picks up the offending clothing, the kimono itself is a blush pink. Setting the outer layer aside she slips into the juban which is a deep plum. Covered she drops the towels, twisting her hair into a simple French twist, and applying eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss before her arms become too restrained by the fabric. _I may as well look good, I mean what's the point in wearing nice clothes without the rest of the package…_ Having finished dressing, with only minimal difficulty Mae admires herself in the now defogged bathroom mirror. The kimono adds color to her without drowning her out. The soft pink of the dress is contrasted sharply by a black obi and tied with a rose colored obi chord. If she weren't sure she would be walking back through the temple to her doom Mae may have truly appreciated the beauty of her borrowed clothes. A knock at the door pulls Mae from her thoughts and she leaves the bathroom, clicking the light off to find Yukina waiting for her once more.


	5. Chapter 4

Yukina leads Mae back through the halls of the temple. They walk in silence; _is this what my life will return to? Will I be dressed as a doll only to be tortured as if I were a war criminal; though it will probably be worse this time… They must be furious that I managed to escape. I can guarantee they won't allow me the chance again…_ Their footsteps echo softly through the hallways, the ice maiden opting to carry a candle rather than constantly turn the lights on and off as the women pass through the halls. The flickering shadows draw Mae's attention, taking her back to Sapporo and the fire that had caused her to flee the one place she'd felt safe since the halfway house had been burned down.

 _ **"I can't seem to get this stupid language down!" Mae muttered to herself. She thought moving somewhere with a culture even more removed from her home would make her harder to track. She hadn't anticipated having such difficulty with the language. Not knowing Japanese had made it almost impossible to accomplish simple daily tasks, like buying groceries or books for her to learn the language. Forget trying to find a place to live; that's why she'd almost cried when she'd stumbled upon a high school professor who was fluent in written English. Not only had he given her a place to stay while she learned Japanese, plus the Japanese sign system, but he'd also helped her find an apartment without being swindled out of an astronomical amount of money.**_

 _ **It had been early that spring that she'd begun seeing him regularly. He was her first friend in a long time, the first person who'd shown her kindness without expecting anything in return. They would often get coffee together or spend their afternoons in the local park. He didn't mind that she didn't speak; in fact he'd told her he found it refreshing. So she began to settle, finally feeling at peace, feeling safe; and then she began to slip. That's ultimately why she'd almost been caught, and why her sweet professor had been killed. Because she'd gotten sloppy, she'd gotten too close. Going to meet him at his building that Saturday and finding it had been burned to the ground during the night, the fact that there were no survivors had told her that it was them. They'd found her and tracked her to Sapporo. It was a rude wake up call, one she'd never forgive herself for. After returning to her small apartment, grief stricken, Mae had packed her things and left without looking back. She'd been foolish to think she could escape the life she'd been cursed with, to think she could be safe, so she returned to running. She didn't have enough money for a ticket out of the country so she settled for moving around Japan, learning all its little villages and provinces. Mae only stayed in places for a couple of weeks, sometimes only days, knowing she could never truly escape.**_

Noticing the ice maiden had stopped Mae forces herself back to the present. They stand just outside the entertainment room, hushed voices filtering through the doorway. Yukina glances over her shoulder, making sure her guest is still there, before clearing her throat lightly and entering the room. Mae follows a step behind. Upon entering the space she is able to observe the group clearly for the first time. Yukina moves to stand next to a rather large man with cropped carrot colored hair and small dark eyes. He leans against a large entertainment system against the far wall which houses the largest television set she has ever seen. Hidden behind cabinet doors are what she assumes the accessories for the T.V. as well as an assortment of games and movies. Seated in one of the arm chairs is a slender, feminine looking figure who has turned the chair to face the doorway. To the right another member of the group lounges in the large window overlooking a section of the temple property; Mae's eyes widen, this is the man from the clearing. His crimson colored eyes and strange hair style are impossible to mistake, dread settles into her bones as he shifts his fiery gaze to meet hers. Breath caught in her throat Mae steps back only to be met by the former spirit detective.

"Sorry kiddo, you aren't going anywhere." Yuske says grasping her upper arm to maneuver her further into the room. She glares at him icily, ripping her arm from his hand and refusing to budge. With an exasperated sigh the dark haired man returns to his position by the door, unwilling to manhandle the girl more than necessary. "If I didn't know any better I'd swear you this is a different girl Yukina. She looks nothing like the Rumiko that left with you an hour ago. I mean Rumiko was clearly native, but this girl has got to be American."

"Yes," Kurama adds, studying Mae intently. _This must be the girl from the file, how else would her eyes have healed on their own._ The fox concludes, _by all accounts I should have had to use a demonic plant to return her sight._ She shifts uncomfortably under his gaze, but refuses to acknowledge him. "If not for her energy she could easily be a different girl. I didn't anticipate her having dyed her hair. Please, Rumiko, sit."

Mae glares at the fox, she'd been shocked to find her hair back to its natural white when she'd stepped from the shower. _What type of plant was that? I don't know of anything that can strip dye like that without seriously damaging hair; these people must be working with the others. There's no way in hell I'm cooperating with them._ Crossing her arms defiantly Mae remains standing. Kurama shrugs, "Suit yourself, we'll have our answers soon enough."

Mae pales at his statement, but stands firm. She folds her hands into the sleeves of her kimono and stares blankly at the wall, determined to ignore those around her. Yuske exchanges a look with his teammates, but just as he begins to say something a portal opens in the wall next to him revealing Botan and a teenage Koenma. Jumping about three feet back he exclaims heatedly, "a little warning next time diaper breath!"

"Show some respect, Yuske." Botan scolds, closing the portal. Stepping up behind the spirit prince the blue haired ferry girl gasps at the sight before them. A young girl, no older than twelve, stands in traditional Japanese wear. She'd easily be mistaken for a ghost if not for the striking blue of her eyes. Mae shifts once more, clearly uncomfortable with the attention, but still refuses to move her focus from the wall. "Lord Koenma, is this, could it be…"

"I do believe it is Botan." The spirit prince answers the unfinished question, taking the pacifier from his mouth and tucking it into a pocket. He moves so the girl is facing him and kneels so their eyes are on the same level. In his teenage form his height rivals that of the others, making him several heads taller than Mae. Finally, Mae looks away from the wall. Her cobalt gaze wanders over the spirit prince's wiry form. As a teenager he's almost attractive by human standards, with fawn colored hair and gentle honey brown eyes. Mae raises a single delicate brow at the large 'Jr' in the middle of his forehead, but says nothing. Koenma is struck by the girl that stands before him, if they were in the feudal era there's no doubt in his mind this would have been the woman of the house. Her silent strength assures him of her resolve, a resolve the spirit prince knows he must break if he is to get any answers. With a single breath Koenma steels himself and delivers the fatal words to the human girl. "We've been looking for you for a long time, Mae."

At the announcement of her real name Mae feels all the fight drain from her body. Koenma hardens his eyes, the once warm honey color now resembling chips of cold amber. His suspicions confirmed, the spirit prince rises to his feet once more. The others watch as she takes a single step back, Kuwubara being the first to voice his confusion. "Wait, her name isn't Rumiko?"

"She obviously lied, idiot." Hiei retorts, not taking his eyes off the porcelain figure before him.

"I'm not stupid shorty!" The carrot top returns hotly, "it's just, isn't Mae an American name? So wouldn't that mean-"

"That's correct." Koenma states, crossing his arms he addresses Mae directly. "I was able to gather more information on you these past two days, not much but it will have to do for now. Hopefully you can fill in the gaps. What we do know is that you were born in America, your mother died when you were seven, your father abandoning you a year later. There was a fire at the orphanage you were being housed at when you were fifteen, for some reason you fled the country. Why is that Mae?"

 **I believe you know why.** She signs curtly. Confused Koenma looks to Kurama for help, "What is she doing with her hands? Why isn't she answering me?"

"She did answer you Koenma." The fox replies from his seat. "She hasn't spoken since we found her. I believe she may be mute."

"What? No, that's not possible. Nothing in her file says anything about an incident in which she loses her voice!" The spirit prince exclaims, running his hands through his hair and pacing frantically about the room. Mae almost cries in relief at this information, _they think I'm mute! Oh thank God! Sacred Virgin Mary, thank you! If they think I can't speak then they don't know about my curse, and if they don't know about my curse then I'm practically useless to them…_ Her thoughts are interrupted by a pair of large hands hauling her across the room and depositing her in a second overstuffed armchair across from Kurama. Blue meets green in an icy glare which is broken when the fox opens his mouth to speak. Before he can utter a single word however, Mae rudely flips him the bird and turns away, pointedly ignoring him.

"Mae, you have to speak to us." The red head begins, "I'm the only one who knows any form of sign language, so I will be translating for the group."

 **I don't have to do shit.** Mae signs, turning to face her translator, **there's nothing you can do to me that I haven't been through before.**

"Are you implying you've been tortured?" Kurama inquires gently, earning several gasps from his companions and a heated glare from the girl in question. _This must be why she was hiding, disguising herself. No wonder she doesn't trust us, if she's been captured before she most likely believes we are from the same group._ Standing suddenly Kurama straightens his clothes before announcing: "Yukina, would you mind reheating supper? It seems there is much to discuss."

With a small nod the ice maiden scurries from the room, glad to be free of the tension hanging in the air. The men follow shortly, retreating to the tea room. They leave Botan to guard the girl, knowing she is more than capable even if the ferry girl is a bit of an air head. Once the guys have left Botan returns to the seating area, noticing Mae has yet to move from her previous position. The ferry girl pauses, not sure how to approach the silent girl.

"Those colors suit you." She tries, pulling at the hem of her own kimono sleeve shyly. "You're as beautiful as a doll."

Mae stiffens at the compliment, recalling the man who'd paid her the kind words before. Noticing the young girl's reaction and knowing she must have said the wrong thing Botan scrambles frantically to correct her mistake. "N-not that I think you're a doll. I just meant you're pretty, I mean I've never seen an albino before and I've always been told they look scary. Not that you're scary, quite the opposite actually. Hence the doll comment; oh this isn't helping. I'm just going to stop talking now."

Cobalt eyes regard the floundering ferry girl, amusement dancing in their depths. Botan sighs with relief at the small victory; at least Mae doesn't hate her. The blue haired woman offers a grin at her own antics. Mae's face hardens again at the gesture of kinship; she'd be foolish to trust so easily. Confused Botan tries once more to coax a reaction out of the girl.

"Mae? Look I know you don't trust us, but we're only trying to help you." The blue haired woman sits on the edge of the couch, reaching out to place a comforting hand over Mae's folded hands. At this gesture Mae smiles softly, perhaps she can escape after all. "We could watch a movie until the guys are ready for us if you like?"

Just down the hall the original team sits with Koenma, trying to fit together the pieces of the puzzle that lay before them. They realize there are key pieces of information that are missing, gaps that they will need filled in by Mae, if they can ever get her to communicate with them. The fox is nursing a cup of tea, glaring at it as if the green liquid will surrender the answers he seeks. They've already eliminated Hiei's Jagan as a means of gathering information, as there is some type of mental barrier in the girl's mind.

"Perhaps there's a way around the barrier?" Koenma suggests hopefully, knowing that Hiei will be their best bet at gathering all the information required.

"The only way into her mind is through that barrier." The smaller demon scoffs, "I already tried to break it and was almost crucified upon our return."

 _So that's what happened._ Kurama replays the scene from the clearing over again in his mind, noting that the Jagan eye was indeed open when the fox had discovered them. "Before we address gathering information from her there seems to be a more pressing issue. It seems that when a demon makes direct contact with Mae, skin to skin, it elicits an extremely violent response on the demon's part. I know Hiei, Yuske, and myself have all experienced this. I would assume Yukina has as well. Do you have any idea why that might be Koenma?"

"N-no I don't. I've never heard of anything like that before…" The princeling states, popping his pacifier back into his mouth. A sudden shift in the energy around the temple draws their attention. Kurama's eyes snap up as Mae's energy fades. He glances around to see if the others had noticed. Kuwubara looks around confused while Hiei is nowhere to be seen, having flitted away to check his sister and Botan.

"Hey, did Rumi-er Mae just leave?" He asked "I don't feel her energy anymore."

"She's gone. There's something wrong with Botan" Hiei says appearing in the doorway to the room. He's holding the ferry girl gently, having carried her to the tea room in search of answers. While it's true the fire demon holds no fondness for the blue haired girl he does feel a need to avenge the action taken against her. The Jaganshi places her on the table for the others to see. Her skin, normally warm and glowing, has taken on an ashy hue and is cold to the touch. Her bubblegum colored eyes are half closed, as if she were in a daze.

"Botan! Botan wake up!" Yuske shouts, pushing the others out of the way and grasping the ferry girl by the shoulders. After a moment she blinked, the warmth returning to her, though the blue haired girl still seemed out of it. His deep brown eyes are frosty with anger; they'd been nothing but decent to the girl there was no cause for her to attack the ferry girl. He vows to make Mae suffer for her mistake. The detective looks up when he hears footsteps approach to find Yukina has joined them.

"Let me look at her Yuske, maybe there's something I can do." She says gently. Nodding the dark haired man steps back to give the ice maiden some room.

"It's clear she doesn't plan on returning." The fox commented "I didn't think she'd try to run with the state she's in. Apparently we should have put wards on the doors to keep her from trying."

"So I guess that means we're going after her." Yuske stood, a determined look settling onto his face as he stretches, joints popping. "I for one want some answers."

The sun was just beginning to peak over the tops of the trees when Mae made it to the town. Ducking into an alley she gasps for breath. Her feet are shredded and sore from running barefoot for so many miles. Not to mention the lovely kimono she'd borrowed was now splattered with mud along the hem from the rain the day before. Stumbling back onto the street Mae knows she'll have to try to disappear in the morning crowds, hopefully she can change and pickpocket some money for a train ticket before her pursuers make it to the town. Wandering around, she tries doors to several shops, finding they are not yet open for the day. Panic begins to set in; _I have to get out of here! There has to be someplace that's open this early…I have to change. I'm recognizable enough as it is, I don't need to be seen wandering around barefoot in a kimono!_ A sense of relief washes over her when a door finally gives way under her weight.

Caught by surprise Mae about trips over the threshold to the bookstore; she eases the door closed and turns to face the mounds and rows of books before her. _Not what I was hoping for, but it will do until the trains start running for the day…_ She peers out the window, noticing the storm clouds rolling in. Rain has been Mae's friend ever since she started running making her harder to track and keeping her pursuers two steps behind her. Today it seems, luck is not on her side as she sees a head of bright red hair through the dusty glass. _Damn, how did they find me so fast…I was quiet, it should have given me a bigger head start._ She curses herself for not having thought about the time when she ran off. Her silent cursing only growing when she realizes the bloody footprints will lead the group right to her. Then, much to the albino's relief, it begins to rain washing away any trace of her.

"Can you find her?" The fox asks, turning to Hiei who is currently glaring at the precipitating sky. They'd followed her scent to the town noticing a trail of bloody footprints beginning just a mile or two outside the town limits. Kuwubara had been the first to notice the macabre trail, pointing out how desperate the blue eyed girl must be to get away to run the entire way without any shoes, not even stopping when her feet had begun to bleed. Yuske had retorted that she'd better run, because she'd wish he'd never caught her after what she did to Botan; and that she was stupid for leaving them such an easy trail to follow.

"Of course" the smaller demon scoffs, closing his eyes and concentrating with his Jagan. _Where is she? I thought I'd at least be able to sense her with the Jagan; and now this stupid rain has washed away the blood trail and most of her scent…_ Hiei grits his teeth in frustration, allowing his energy to pinpoint her location. Turning toward the book store the koorime inhales deeply a smirk forming when his guess is confirmed. "There."

Yuske turns toward the book store, "Not like shorty here needed something as easy as a blood trail anyways. So what's the plan?"

"What do you take me for, a human hunter who allows his prey to bleed out for lack of skill?" The fire demon snarks, his pride can take no more blows. Kurama, sensing the impending blood bath steps between the two and doles out instructions.

"Go around back Yuske. Hiei and I will flush her out. Kuwubara go wait at the train station just in case." The red head instructs. "This should be easy enough."

"In case what?" Kuwubara asks with a small frown, "I wannna be where the action is!"

"In case the imbecile detective fails to catch the brat as we flush her out the back." Hiei retorts, starting toward the store. _You'll not escape again little mouse_ the koorime grimaces, when had he assigned her a pet name? He didn't even like the child.

Mae stumbles back from the window; Kurama and the man from the clearing were heading straight toward the book store. _I really need to get better at these introductions; I mean this is getting ridiculous…_ She didn't think they'd seen her, but it wouldn't be hard to find her with a trail of foot prints to follow. Spotting a couple of dust rags she quickly mops up what blood she can as she retreats to the rear of the store; _maybe I can still sneak out the back_. She hears the bell over the door ring as they enter and ducks behind a bookcase.

"Excuse me," Kurama begins politely to the elderly man at the counter. Hiei rolls his eyes at the fox's antics; he will never understand human pleasantries. What was the point anyways if they were only going to drip all over his floor and counter? "We're looking for my little sister. She wandered off and we can't seem to find her. She's twelve, about four-eight, blue eyes, white hair."

Mae fumed at how easily the lie rolled off the fox's tongue, a little confused at first as there had been no one attending the counter when she'd entered. She huddled further behind the stacks of books as she seethed; _twelve! Did he seriously just tell that man I'm twelve! That bastard, luckily the clerk wasn't at the counter when I came in though…_

"Sorry, I haven't seen anybody yet this morning." The old man replies, pushing his thick glasses up on his wrinkly nose "but you're welcome to look around if you like."

"Thank you." Kurama says politely, turning back to his spikey haired companion with a questioning look.

"She's definitely here" the koorime growls under his breath, pointing at the puddles of blood mixing with the rain water they've tracked in. The two demons exchanged a look before systematically making their way through the store. Mae could hear the heavy thunk of the smaller man's boots and the softer steps of Kurama closing in. Her heart seems to match their footsteps beating in time; _counting down my moments of hard won freedom is more like it._ She takes a step back, she was cornered there was nowhere to hide! She feels something digging into her back and reaches behind her, it's a door handle; _Thank God_ she sighs in relief and backs out the door almost relieved to feel the cool patter of the rain on her face. When she turns to run she smacks into what feels like a brick wall, but brick walls don't have hands. She looks up to see the dark haired man towering over her. Her instincts kicking in Mae punches him in the throat and manages to slip around the former detective. The ground has become slippery with the rain and Yuske stumbles as he lurches for her.

"Damn" he coughed, _why is she so scared of us? What does she think we've done that she did whatever that was to Botan and ran almost eight miles without shoes?_ "You got a lot of fight for a kid."

Her stance widens as she prepares to run for it. She only gets a couple of steps before strong arms snake around her, hoisting her up off the ground. Frantically she claws at the spirit detective's exposed arms. Throwing her head back she manages to catch his cheek, but misses his nose. _No! Not like this; please not like this!_ She beats on his arms with her fists and swung her legs back in an attempt to kick him.

"Damn it stop fighting me! Don't give me a reason to hurt you anymore than I already have! My orders are to take you back to the temple; you can decide how many pieces that's in!" The detective growls, any sympathy for the girl dissipating almost instantly. Despite his threats she continues to struggle, believing things will only be worse if she goes quietly. Frustrated and tired of wrestling the girl in the rain the detective drops her without warning. Mae crumples in a heap at his feet, snatched back up by her wrists before she has a chance to react. He shakes her violently, causing the rest of her hair to fall from the twist in a tangled mess. "I said enough!"

"Is a small child really too much for you to handle detective?" Hiei sneers stepping out of the building, Kurama close behind. Mae hangs limply in the detective's grasp, her shoulders beginning to ache from the stress. With a low growl Yuske drops her, a sickening crack filling the alley as she lands on the concrete. The fox winces at the cuts littering the detective's arms as well as the bruise forming on his cheek from where he'd been head butted. Noticing the fox's gaze the detective touches his cheek tenderly, glaring down at the girl in a heap on the ground. Slowly she pushes herself up her cobalt eyes shining with defiance. In an instant Hiei's sword is unsheathed and resting on the hollow of Mae's throat.

"Give me a reason" He challenges, his voice dangerous. Mae stills her expression as cold and unrelenting as Hiei's. Though she doesn't attempt to stand the albino does cradle her broken wrist to her chest, casting a down right poisonous look in Yuske's direction.

Kurama says, hauling Mae to her feet and shoving her toward the detective. "You and Hiei should head back with the girl. I'll fetch Kuwubara from the train station."

"Are you going to behave?" Yuske asks her darkly "or am I going to have to carry you all the way back to the temple?"

"She won't run" the fire demon stated. His eyes were narrowed dangerously at Mae. "Let's go."

Mae allowed Yuske to lead her from the town, his hand rested on her shoulder as he steered her through the streets. Hiei seemed to have disappeared, but something told her he was lurking nearby. She walked with the spirit detective pretending he didn't exist; she faced forward eyes staring into the distance and marched as though he were leading her to her execution. _Don't limp, no weakness_ she told herself trying to ignore the burning pain in her feet. Choosing instead to focus on the sharp throbbing pain of her wrist, thankfully her long kimono sleeves hid the swelling so her captors didn't yet know the extent of her pain. From Mae's experience her pain would only be exploited, she would be put through worse and worse until she finally broke, or passed out. That was the one thing she remembers clearly from her time before, they wanted, said they needed, to break her. To what end Mae can't guess. So she chooses to allow them to lead her back to the temple as if nothing were wrong, as if this was her intention all along. Once the odd couple had left the town the small fire demon appeared beside them once more.

"Yuske, carry her" Hiei states, brushing past them. "Koenma will be upset if she bleeds out before we return to the temple."

"Like I care! After what she did to Botan the bitch deserves to suffer." The detective announces picking up the pace and dragging Mae behind him. _Botan? Is that the woman that was watching me? What happened to her… they think I did something to her?_ Mae's thoughts become panicked as she tries to figure out what she could have done to harm the woman. Her punishments were always worse when one of the guards had been injured in some way.

"The ferry girl is fine Yuske." Hiei states simply, offering no further explanation. "Now carry the damn girl, I don't want to spend the morning walking at this pace."

"What?" The detective asks, relief filling his voice. He pauses to look down at the white haired girl. He let out a small 'oh' when he saw the bloody trail of foot prints leading to them, no wonder they'd received strange looks in town. Mae looked truly pathetic in her state: her hair is plastered to her head in a tangled knotted mess, her feet are caked with mud and blood, and her kimono is all but ruined from the dirt and dust ground into it during her attempted escape. Taking pity on the girl once more the detective stops so she can fully catch up to him. Mae's eyes flashed as Yuske moved to pick her up, she stepped out of the way as he swooped down to throw her over his shoulder. This knocked him off balance, one well-placed kick and he was down. She ignores the searing pain in her feet from the move, turning back to face the spikey haired demon. This time she was prepared for the swordsman, as Hiei went to draw Mae grabbed his sword arm and flipping over him managed to throw the small demon.

Seizing her chance Mae ran, not back toward the town but off into the lightly wooded area along the road. She gasped with each step, her bleeding feet commanding her to stop. Mae only pushed herself harder, determined to escape her captors. _It would be better to be dead at this point_ she decides. She heard shouting behind her and the rustling of the underbrush. It hadn't taken more than a few seconds for the two to recover and pursue the escaped girl. Gasping for breath in the damp air she tries to push herself to run faster. She dodged around trees and leapt over large rocks, she wasn't going back without a fight and they'd been foolish to think she would.

Mae heard the snapping of twigs and pounding of her pursuers' feet as they closed in on her. She trembled almost able to feel their fingers tightening around her arms as she ran. What she didn't realize is that the green space ended with a steep cliff overlooking a river. The fugitive skidded to a stop as she approached the edge. _This is it._ She turns back to the tree line, determined to defy the men pursuing her to her dying breath. Yuske lumbered out of the forested space spewing curses, his eyes were dark and dangerous as he spotted her. He was still shocked she'd been able to take him down so easily, she'd never shown any type of martial arts skills before. The spirit detective would have been impressed if it were not for the fact that he was supposed to take her back to the temple and she was being a royal pain in the ass. _Damn it how are we ever supposed to get answers or help her if she's going to fight us every step of the way._ Yuske glanced around, there was no sign of the fire demon but even without his help there was no way the girl was going to escape, he had her cornered.

She looked between the detective and the quickly vanishing space between her and the ledge as she stepped backward. Her azure eyes were wide and her hair danced in the wind that whipped around them in forceful gusts adding to her frantic appearance. Lightening cracked through the sky as she reached the edge of the cliff, that next step would be her last. Mae took a deep breath, locking eyes with the detective one last time. Her expression hardened with determination and she took a final step back into thin air, allowing the momentum to pull her backward and off the edge. Yuske growled and sprung forward arms out stretched to grab the stupid girl, but his fingers closed around air. He was too slow.

Time seemed to slow as Mae fell, vaguely she could hear someone yelling but that was far away and of no importance at the moment. She felt the wind wrap its icy fingers around her as it drug her down to the river and the sharp rocks on its shores. Mae knew she was falling, but she felt weightless, _is this how birds feel when they fly_ , she wondered, closing her eyes to revel in the feelings around her. The rain was cold and hard against her face, seeming to take bites from her skin eating away at the meager warmth in her body. Her hair whipped around her face lashing at her skin, defying the weight of the water. She felt her arms stretch out from her sides, and her pale lips turned upwards in a small smile as the cool air kissed her face. She almost forgot she was falling; the cold reminded her of snow. Perhaps that's what she was doing, yes that was it, she was making snow angels. A hysterical laugh bubbled up from deep within her, escaping and taking flight in the rolling waves of air rushing around her.

Mae was rudely jerked from her decent by a pair of strong arms. The warmth shocked her, where had the blissful chill of the wind, the pleasant sting of the rain gone? She opened her eyes, not realizing she'd closed them and looked around frantically her gaze settling on the fire demon who'd snatched her from the air. A scowl replaced the smile on her face as their eyes met, her glare as cold as his was hot. Hiei looked down at the girl in his arms his ruby eyes narrowed at her glare. _Is she really so stupid as to believe we'd allow her to escape that easily,_ he growled, it didn't even seem as though she were trying to escape but more as if she preferred death to being captured. _Who exactly does she think we are to prefer being dead to returning to the temple, stupid mouse_. The small demon broke eye contact with the human girl, ignoring her icy glare as he flitted back to the temple; he could feel the spirit detective following not far behind.


	6. Chapter 5

Yelling greets Kurama and Kuwubara as they climb the last few steps to the temple. Exchanging a look the two enter the large welcome area, one of the aspects of the original design Yukina had convinced the boys to leave unaltered. As the fox pulls the heavy wood doors shut the two can hear the heated voices of their companions filtering through the walls. Removing their shoes and dripping outerwear they head to the source of the argument, Kurama stopping for a towel along the way. Padding through the halls the fox futilely tries to dry his thick mane. Eventually giving up and deciding to let it air dry he places the towel across his shoulders, flipping his flame colored locks so they rest on top of the towel and are no longer soaking his navy sweater. Watching the fox struggle with his unruly hair the carrot top shakes his head, glad he'd opted to keep his own curls short and manageable. As they approach the tea room the shouts become clearer.

"I don't give a damn about what you were able to find Koenma, that girl's more trouble than she's worth!" Yuske shouts. Presently he towers over the spirit prince who has returned to his toddler form and is currently surrounded by stacks of paper and rather large books. The prince in question pinches the bridge of his nose as if trying to ward off a headache from the former detective's yelling.

"You saw what she did to Botan, we don't know anything about her!" The former spirit detective adds, unrelenting. At the mention of the blue haired ferry girl he pauses. Noticing she's no longer in the tea room he turns back to the princeling, furiously pointing an accusing finger at Koenma. "What did you do with Botan anyways? What happened after we left Koenma, damn it all!"

"Calm yourself Yuske. Botan is fine," Koenma answers as he shuffles through papers. "Currently she's resting; or at least she would be if you'd stop all of your yelling."

"Will she be able to join us?" Kurama inquires, entering the tea room with Kuwubara in tow. The carrot top leaves the sliding door open as he takes a seat close to the end of the table housing the detective and prince. Hiei has abandoned his usual perch to lean against the inner wall; _I wonder what happened on the way back that has Hiei and Yuske on edge?_ The fox ruffles his hair with the towel once more before joining taking his usual seat across from Yuske.

"Yes, Yukina will fetch her as soon as the tea is ready." Koenma replies, not looking up from the text he's currently thumbing through. It's clear the princeling is preoccupied with his task and unwilling to answer any more questions for the time being. Turning away from the spirit prince Kurama decides Yuske's answers will have to do for now.

"Will Yukina also be fetching our guest?" He asks, eyes narrowing when Yuske flinches at the question. The fox rests his hands on the table, lacing his fingers together so it's nearly impossible to see how tightly he's gripping his hands. _I'm tired of these games. This girl has no reason to trust us and she'll continue to remain silent until we give her a reason. I don't know why, but I haven't been able to erase last night or the clearing from my mind…_ "Yuske?"

"No" The detective states, refusing to look anywhere but the table. This draws Koenma's attention.

"Yuske, Hiei, where's Mae?" The spirit prince had returned to spirit world in order to try to dig up some more information while the guys had gone to retrieve the girl. So far he'd been able to recover a slight amount of information, the ogers having found some more pieces of the file tucked away, but nothing about the girl being mute or her strange energy. The fire demon's jaw tightened at the question, while Yuske reacts as though he's been outright struck.

Kurama forces himself to relax, knowing if he reacts in defense of the girl it will only make things worse since as far as his teammates are concerned she's guilty of attacking one of their own. The silence in the room thickens as the two in question refuse to answer, just as it seems the tension in the room will drown its occupants a cheery voice slices through the air. "Hi there everyone!"

"Botan!" Kuwubara exclaims, jumping up to offer the ferry girl a hug. "What happened? What did Mae do to you, are you ok?"

"Woah, woah, one question at a time big guy!" She giggles, hiding behind her kimono sleeves, "besides, Yukina might get jealous of all the attention you're giving me!"

With a Cheshire like smirk she bounds away just as the candy eyed ice maiden enters carrying a steaming tray of tea. Blushing, Kuwubara takes the tea tray from the demoness and begins serving the fragrant tea. Scents of cinnamon and allspice fill the room, relaxing the occupants and warming them from the inside out. Plopping down beside the dark haired man Botan offers him a side hug and a reassuring smile. She winks at Kurama who smiles affectionately at the blue hair girl's antics. Noticing Hiei also looks relieved Botan's mischievous grin returns. "I heard you ran to de fend my honor, Hiei, I must tell you I'm flattered."

"I did no such thing," He retorts, not moving from his position against the wall "foolish woman."

"Oh, what a relief, I'd hate for you to make such a ruckus when I'm all fine and dandy!" She returns snarkily, sticking out her tongue at the fire demon. "But really, all jokes aside, I'm perfectly fine."

"We're all very glad to hear that Botan." Kurama offers, "but what happened? Can you tell us what Mae did to you?"

"Actually, no" the ferry girl replies, a small frown creasing her features. "I haven't the foggiest. One minute I was talking to Mae, asking her if we should watch a movie; the next I'm waking up to Yukina standing over me feeling like I got wasted on cheap tequila."

"How strange," the fox comments, a frown settling on his face.

"Yes" Koenma adds, "I haven't been able to find any explanation for what might have happened. It seems that unless Mae decides to tell us what happened then we shall remain in the dark…"

"It's really not that big of a deal" Botan pushes, propping her elbows on the table "a couple of aspirin and I was good as new. Can't we just forgive and forget? I mean I've already moved on."

"Botan, this is serious." Yuske says, swirling a finger in his tea. "We don't know anything about this girl-"

"Actually that's no longer true." Koenma interrupts, slurping his tea. "The ogers were able to find some more pages of her file. As I said before, we know there was some type of energy flare when she was six, so twenty years ago now-"

"Wait!" Kuwubara exclaims, shocked he almost drops his tea. "That means she's twenty six, but she looks like she's twelve! Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought she was twelve!"

"Actually I forgot this was supposed to be Sensui's case." Botan adds, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Mae does look very young, it'd be easy to mistake her age."

"Digressing" the spirit prince interjects irritated. "Her mother died for unknown reasons when Mae was seven, her father abandons her at an orphanage when she's eight. We were able to find out that the orphanage was Catholic, so she was raised in the Catholic Church."

"Hold on, what's kah-toe-lick?" Kuwubara asked, trying to form the strange sounds of the word, he earned a snicker from Yuske for his attempt. The large man huffed, "I'd like to see you say it."

"Actually, it's pronounced _Catholic_ " Kurama intervined. "It's a western religion, centered on Christianity I believe. Basically they believe in one all-powerful being that rules over everything, he created everything to be good but one of his… _angels_ I believe it was, turned against him and created evil. They believe that there's a spiritual battle for human souls and that demons are inherently evil; the religion also teaches that their God sent himself in human form to Earth and then died to allow humans to enter a type of paradise when they die. Catholics think if they believe this as the truth and live a good life they will live in… _heaven_ is it called… If not they will burn for all eternity in a place called _hell_."

"What?" Kuwubara stares at the fox, uncomprehending of the strange ideas as western religions aren't something heavily studied in public schools. Kurama sighed at the blank looks of his teammates, but before he could continue Botan steps in. "Think of it like this: Spirit world determines where we send your soul. So in Catholicism they believe the person they call God sends them to where their soul will reside for all eternity. They believe the Spirit world and Demon world only exist on a spiritual level, not a physical one."

"What a load of bullshit, I mean who could seriously be stupid enough to believe that?" The dark haired man guffawed, shaking his head.

"Mae does" Koenma states blandly, shooting a look at Yuske and not finding the humor in the situation. "For now we should keep it that way. Though I am curious what she'll do when she finds out Hiei and Kurama are demons… Anyways, after Mae leaves the orphanage we know very little. So until we know how much Mae knows about her spirit energy and why she fled the United States I'd like to keep her in the dark about spirit world and demon world."

"That's gonna be kinda hard to do diaper breath." Yuske comments, leaning back. "Seeing as she saw you and Botan arrive by portal as well as-"

"Detective" comes the growl from Hiei, effectively shutting up the dark haired man. The sudden silence from Yuske rings in the air, earning questioning looks from the remaining five.

"Yuske," Kurama leans across the table, effectively closing the gap between himself and the detective. "You've yet to answer my question. Where is the girl?"

"Um, well you have to understand, I mean she, but you see…" Yuske stumbled over his words unable to find the right ones for his purpose. Kuwubara growled, finally losing patience with his childhood friend and slams his tea cup down on the table "Spit it out Urameshi we don't have all day!"

"She's in the closet at the end of the hall." Yuske muttered dropping his eyes; he began to fidget uncomfortably as Botan rushed out of the room yelling curses at him. _How can she defend someone who attacked her just a few hours ago?_ The detective broods, staring intently at his half-drunk tea. They sat in silence until an unholy shriek rips through the air. All except Yuske and Hiei sprung to their feet; the former flinched in anticipation of what was coming while the latter was carefully neutral.

"Yuske Urameshi!" The ferry girl shouts, storming into the tea room. "I expect this kind of behavior from Hiei, but you! I- I don't even know what to say to you!"

"How can you defend her?" He counters, "She attacked you Botan!"

"Yuske Urameshi! I told you I'm fine, and even if I weren't how dare you treat someone, anyone like this!" She returns her volume rising with each word until the dark haired man seems to shrink to half his towering size. The blue haired girl spun on her heel and stomped back down the hall. Yuske glares at the doorway meekly, dropping his gaze after a moment. A soft murmuring could be heard as she spoke to the girl in the closet. Kurama turns away from the door, regarding Yuske with a raised eyebrow. "Well?"

Yuske sighed and dropped his head onto the table mumbling something that sounded like "Mmmtmmmzmmmd"

"I'm sorry, what was that?" But Yuske wasn't speaking to him, instead he sat up straight and turned coldly toward the fire demon. "I TOLD YOU IT WAS A BAD IDEA YOU STUPID SMUG FREAK!"

At the insult Hiei's eyes shot open, he snarled at the detective. "I'm not the one who was unable to keep a mere _girl_ under control."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Kuwubara said unused to having to mediate between the two, usually it was Yuske doing the mediating. "What does that mean? What happened on the way back to the temple?"

Yuske only groaned and dropped his head back onto the table. Hiei sneered at him in disgust before explaining "It seems even a small child can outwit our spirit detective…"

"Hey she threw you too!" Yuske raised his head only long enough to counter the small demon.

"She ran." Hiei paused; his scowl deepened "The idiot threw herself off a cliff trying to escape. It was a two hundred foot drop into a shallow river."

The others in the room paled at this announcement. Kurama cleared his throat delicately "I'm assuming you prevented her from hitting the bottom."

"Yes. We brought her back to the temple. Since Yuske had so much trouble with her before I placed wards."

"No," Yuske stood, his voice eerily calm. Every bit of him looked ready to attack the red eyed demon. "No, no, no. You don't get to just sit there and pretend that everything's ok; because _you_ dumped her in a closet and _you_ didn't just put wards on the door, you bound her hands and placed wards on her. Y-you didn't even flinch when they burned her!"

The last words of Yuske's confession hung in the suffocating silence. Hiei's eyes flash dangerously at the announcement, knowing he'll catch hell for his actions. Still, he can't help but recall Mae's reaction to the wards.

 _ **He'd arrived back at the temple with the girl thrown over his shoulder unceremoniously. Almost immediately after the fire demon had snatched her from the air Mae had begun to struggle, causing the koorime to nearly drop her. Hiei had growled at the girl to warn her he was in no mood for this, but still she continued to twist and turn in his grasp pushing against his chest until finally the fire demon had enough. He released her for a moment, allowing the girl to free fall, before swooping down and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. After entering the main hallway Hiei had deposited her on the ground, making sure to keep a firm grip on her. She had returned his glare evenly, but was unable to fight as the Jaganshi had made sure to take hold of her good wrist.**_

 _ **As his hand wrapped around Mae's bare wrist Hiei felt the same inexplicable rage from the clearing. Stalking through the temple the fire demon dragged the girl behind him until he stopped in front of a closet. He pulled a chord from the top shelf and bound the girl's wrists, a grim satisfaction filling the fire demon when she flinched at the pressure on her broken appendage. For a reason he could not conjure Hiei then shoved her into the closet and began pulling wards from his cloak. When Mae turned to face him the koorime slapped one onto her upper arm. A sadistic smirk playing across his face when she gasped in pain, he knew there was no logical reason to place the ward directly on the girl, placing on the door would have served its purpose; but he placed another lower on her arm. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes glazed over from the pain of the ward burning her, but she did not scream.**_

Kuwubara began to quiver with rage, momentarily forgetting the injustice done to the ferry girl. "You twerp! You can't just do that to somebody, especially a girl! She's just a kid- I mean- Kami- it's no wonder she's scared of us with you pulling crap like that. I mean, if it were me, I'd attack us too…"

"You raise a valid point Kuwubara. It's very possible Mae's encountered demons before and was only trying to defend herself; she has no reason to trust us." Koenma said softly his gaze never leaving the accused fire demon. Hiei shrugged and closed his eyes once more, leaning back against the window. Kurama shook his head; this was uncharacteristically cruel, even for the small koorime. Before anything else could be said there was a soft padding of footsteps as Boton and Mae entered the room. Boton gently held the girl's shoulders, steering her into the room and shooting poisonous looks toward a certain fire demon. Mae stares blankly ahead, showing no signs of acknowledging her captors. Somehow she still manages an air of regal dignity despite the once beautiful kimono nearly hanging off her, splattered with dirt and blood and her white hair hanging around her head in a tangled mess. She stands tenderly; it's obvious the action is taking a toll on the young woman, though she refuses to let it show. Mae ignores the wandering eyes of the group as they confirm the story of her current state. What Yuske had said was true; the Jaganshi had placed the wards directly onto the girl, though Botan had since removed them. Blistered and charred skin covers her arms in patches leaving sickening black and angry red marks on her porcelain skin. Her kimono is riddled with holes, each presenting a different burn. The worst is on her neck, where the skin seemed to have cooked and melted away under the ward revealing raw muscle where the skin has sloughed away.

"Oh!" Yukina gasps, tears filling her eyes. She'd been with Botan when Hiei had returned and hadn't thought to ask about the girl. The ice maiden covers her mouth with one hand, the other she wraps around herself tight as she can. Seeing Mae like this surfaces memories of the ice maiden's own captivity. Taking a shaky breath she's able to calm herself. Turning to the fire demon, tears threatening to spill over once more, she asks softly, "Hiei, how could you?"

Her accusing words ring out, shattering the stunned silence of the room. Kurama's eyes narrow dangerously at the sight, pulling the damp towel from under his hair he stands. The fox approaches the women, carefully draping the fabric over Mae's shoulders to cover the worst of the burns. Much to his surprise she doesn't flinch when he approaches her. Her sapphire eyes, which had been so full of defiance and strength before, now seem as lifeless as a doll's.

"I'm going to see what Yukina and I can do for her." Botan doesn't even ask Koenma's permission to heal the girl; her voice containing barely suppressed rage. Koenma simply nods, knowing it's useless to conceal their true nature at this point. "I just thought Hiei might like a look at his handy work first."

Hiei had been desperately trying to ignore them, but his attention kept being dragged back to the girl. Pain rolled off her in tsunami sized waves, but he couldn't smell any fear. _She should be afraid of me, why isn't she afraid?_ The koorime stopped avoiding looking at her and turned to face Mae directly. He took in the damage the wards had caused, his eyes slowly traveling the path of each mark left. Left by him, he realized and his ruby colored eyes widened slightly as a shameful blush tinted his cheeks. Before anybody could notice it was gone, back was the uncaring stone that was Hiei; he turned back toward the window finally able to tear his gaze away from the girl. He closes his eyes to steady himself only to see the garish burns again behind his eyelids. Disgust fills the koorime, what is it about this girl that causes him to act so rashly? He knew those images would haunt his dreams that night.

As Botan turned to leave, gently directing Mae, Kurama placed a hand over top of the ferry girl's. "Perhaps I can be of some assistance also."

Boton nodded, her blue pony tail swaying slightly, and continued down the hall, her face grim. The fox followed close behind, lips pressed to a thin line. _I've trusted my life to him, what's changed in such a short amount of time_ he wondered. Yukina trails behind them pausing at the doorway to cast one last glance to the fire demon. She sighs when he refuses to look at her, opting to continue his one sided staring contest with the window. With a small shake of her head the ice maiden turns to follow the fox and ferry girl into the kitchen to try to help.

 _Botan pulls a stool from the breakfast counter as they enter the modernized kitchen, casting a worried glance at Mae when she doesn't budge from the doorway where she was left._ _Accept no kindness; they're only trying to fool you. You remember what happened last time. If you allow them to help they'll expect something in return. Don't let them win…_ _Mae tells herself doing her damnedest to stand tall. She doesn't react as the blue haired woman pulls her over to the stool, pleading with Mae to allow them to help. The albino refuses to react, convinced that only false kindness is offered. Becoming desperate the ferry girl turns to Kurama, her bubble gum eyes filling with angry tears. "I don't know what to do Kurama! How can we help her if she won't even look at us?"_

 _"I can draw the heat out of them" Yukina offered. "They'll be easier to heal that way, but the damage is too extensive for me to heal completely."_

 _Kurama nodded grimly. "Heal her neck first; it's the worst of them and the most life threatening."_

 _The ice maiden nods at his instructions before turning back to the stranger in her kitchen. The blue haired ferry girl pushes slightly on Mae's shoulders, causing her legs to nearly collapse under the pressure. Reluctantly the young girl allows herself to perch on the edge of the stool, still unwilling to believe these people wanted to help. Yukina dropped the temperature in the room and placed her hands on the burns, slowly drawing the heat from each. Mae felt as though all the warmth had been removed from her body and she began to shiver violently, her body twitching sporadically as she fought the impulse. The demoness's attention to the wound on her neck was the worst; the cold seeped into her blood which was fed directly into her brain. The edges of Mae's vision began to blur as the unbearable cold turned her to stone. Kurama placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to steady her, careful to avoid her bare skin. He offers a reassuring smile, feeling compelled to comfort the stranger and give their actions explanation. "It's ok, we just want to help. Yukina will be finished soon and you'll feel normal after. Do you remember who I am?"_

 _Mae nodded fighting the fog in her mind,_ _yeah I remember. You told the book keeper that I was your twelve year old sister, bastard_ _._

 _"Good" The fox smiled, not missing the halfhearted glare thrown his way, but at least her eyes were focused and he knew she wasn't going into shock anymore. "Now, we're going to have to remove the kimono to properly care for the burns, not that it's in any condition to be worn at this point anyways. I'm going to use a topical ointment to help them heal. It's usually used in conjunction with an oral dosage which I will not force you to take but, you'll heal faster."_

 _As soon as Yukina had finished her task, perspiration gathered on her brow from the effort, she stepped back, allowing the others to take over. Botan then moved to untie the obi chord, folding each piece of clothing and placing it on the counter. Mae sat motionless as the layers were pulled away from her upper half, the process seeming to take on a ritual like quality in the soft light filtering in through the kitchen windows. When the last layer fell away, leaving Mae in only a thin white tank top and exposing the scars that littered her skin, several of which hid beneath the thin material of her top Mae suppressed a shudder. She knew these strange people were claiming to help her, and the places she'd been burned from the wards were already beginning to ache less; but she still didn't trust them. Botan and Yukina gasped at the mutilated and puckered skin, but didn't allow themselves to react further for fear of making the small girl uncomfortable. Instead they helped her to her feet so the plethora of material bunched around her waist fell to the floor in a dirty, bloody heap. Once Mae's legs were exposed the trio could see that the marks of her previous injuries continued past her torso._

 _Kurama's mouth formed a thin line and his eyes darkened, the only signs of his displeasure at the sight before him. Mae attempted to wrap her arms around herself; uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gazes, though she was glad for the modesty of her underwear, but the red head caught her forearms managing to avoid the fresh wounds and lowered the limbs to her sides. "I need to be able to see the extent of your injuries."_

 _The fox plucked a seed from his hair and fed a small amount of energy to the plant, allowing a strange looking bloom to appear. A small chuckle escapes him as he sees Mae cross herself, her eyes wide in disbelief._ _This is even worse than I imagined. Before when they bothered to heal me my injuries were only wrapped in bandages and smeared with antiseptic. Even though they never admitted it I knew they weren't human, what do they have planned if they aren't even bothering hiding anymore?_ _Mae swallows thickly, locking her emotions away so she won't give in to whatever tortures have been planned. The teal colored flower begins to wilt in the red head's hand. Determination etched into his feminine features, Kurama turns toward the counter and squeezes a thick sap from the blossom before the petals turn to ash in his grasp which he then deposits into a separate bowl._

 _"This needs to thicken before application," The fox explains, preparing bandages and placing them within reach. "I must warn you though, this won't be pleasant. The sap of the kus flower is said to sting like a thousand bees, but it will draw out any infection and prevent scarring. The remainder of the petals can be steeped into a broth that will aid in the healing if you choose to drink it; it will also act similarly to morphine in terms of a pain killer. Botan, Yukina, if you wouldn't mind finding something comfortable for her to wear after this?"_

 _At their dismissal the women exit the kitchen, knowing they will be of no more use and most likely only are in the way at this point. Yukina casts a worried glance over her shoulder toward the kitchen; she knows that Kurama would only dismiss her in such a way if the process would most likely be gruesome to watch. She is thankful to be spared the spectacle as her heart would undoubtedly break for the young girl even with the knowledge that the sap was ultimately helping. With the pair gone the fox turns back to Mae. He walks around her, taking note of all her injuries and the most efficient way to tend to them. He pushes her hair away from her neck, noting that the previously marred area is now only slightly pink with new skin._

 _The fox takes a deep breath as he kneels in front of the seated girl, preparing himself for the onslaught of rage he'd experienced back in the clearing. He then lifts her feet which have since stopped bleeding, but are threatening to split at the grime caked scabs. Kurama holds his breath for a moment, but much to his surprise the intrusive impulse never comes. In its place only a slight nagging pulls at the back of his mind,_ _Interesting_ _. Replacing her foot gently as he can the swelling and bruising of her left wrist catches the red head's eye. He tenderly lifts her hand to inspect the damage, recalling the sickening crack that had filled the alley when Yuske dropped her._ _She must have landed on her wrist. It's definitely broken and will need setting._

 _"My apologies for asking this, but I need to cut open the back of your shirt, there's a burn that I need access to." When the albino doesn't respond Kurama grasps the material and tears it easily, revealing her back. The plane is littered with multitudes of scars from years of abuse; there is almost no clean skin left. Shocked, he runs a finger over the puckered and poorly healed areas, noting where she shies away from his touch and filing it away to ask Yukina to mend later. He checks the bowl containing the sap, agitating it to test the consistency. With a nod and a grim set of his lips the fox dips his fingers into the sticky yellow liquid which begins to sting at his fingers almost immediately and smears it across the worst of the wounds. A sharp gasp escapes Mae at the initial heat of the salve. Within seconds the uncomfortable heat has turned into the horrendous stinging she was warned about. Kurama bandages each wound as soon as he applies the sap, careful not to smear it across the healthy skin._

 _About half way through she collapses from the stool, her body beginning to convulse under the agony of the demon medicine. Forced to hold her arms down to properly tend to them Kurama finishes as quickly as he can before turning to her feet. The bottoms are so abused he isn't sure cleaning them would help as the dirt is currently acting as a coagulant. Making a split decision he smears the salve on her feet more thickly than the burns, and makes sure that the bottoms of her feet are completely saturated with the sap before carefully bandaging them. Mae's convulsions grow worse, her muscles spasm under the effects of the plant. The fox clears the supplies from the floor and places folded towels under her head to keep her from giving herself a concussion before turning to was the remainder of the salve from his own hands. Moments later Mae stills, the pain becoming manageable. Kurama moves to check her bandages and lean her against the lower cabinets._

 _"I made the broth." He states, watching the uneven rise and fall of her chest. "You will want it before I set your wrist."_

 _Mae doesn't bother refusing as the red head leaves no room for argument. She sips the broth, her nose scrunching slightly at the bitter taste._ _Be grateful for it_ _she scolds,_ _would you rather be left to suffer silently?_ _She grimaces internally, still questioning Kurama's intentions; but applauds herself on managing to not scream during the entire ordeal. After finishing the disgusting broth Mae sets the bowl in her lap. She notices that Kurama must have left and returned at some point as there are more bandages and fasteners now. Turning away from him she runs the fingers of her good hand over the expert wrappings. A small smile crosses her face;_ _I look like a warrior, that or a crappy mummy_ _…_

 _"I can see the painkillers have taken effect. Unfortunately that means I must set your wrist and wrap it." The fox states and places his hands in the correct position. Without warning he shifts the bones into their proper setting. Mae's eyes widen as she feels the bones shift, it should be painful, but she can't find it in herself to care. It seems as though the bees that had been relentlessly stinging her have moved under her skin and are buzzing around pleasantly. Kurama wraps the appendage firmly to keep the bones from shifting and steals a glance at his patient. "Better?"_

 _Mae's eyes slide over to him, but she doesn't answer, it's not worth the effort. A small smile graces the red heads lips at her sluggish movements, perhaps now she would be more agreeable. Just as he finished returning the bandages to their rightful place Botan and Yukina return, clothes in hand. "Is she ok?"_

 _"Yes Botan, she should make a full recovery. She should also be easier to handle while under the influence of the kus flower's broth." Kurama replies from his position on the floor, seated next to Mae should she need anything. A relieved smile spills across both Yukina and Botan's faces._

 _"Oh thank goodness." Yukina whispers, moving to join them on the floor. "Botan and I weren't able to find anything that fit in her clothing, but I was able to find this yukata, which should be comfortable enough. Also we brought a warm cloth to clean her face and a hairbrush."_

 _"How thoughtful" he commends, offering them both a smile. He glances at his watch, it feels as though this day has been entirely too long seeing as none of them slept the night before; though it is only just before lunch. "Ah, Yukina, I hate to ask but it's almost lunch and none of us have eaten…"_

 _"Oh!" She gasps, jumping up and scurrying to the oversized refrigerator. "Of course, I can't believe I'd forgotten! I'm so sorry!"_

 _"Please don't worry too much, I'd be happy to assist while Botan helps Mae." Kurama states kindly, rising to help her. The two demons proceed to move around each other in the space, creating a strange dance in which one never touched the other as they prepare the afternoon meal. While they cook Botan moves to slip the remains of Mae's undershirt from her shoulders, careful of the multitude of bandages littering the girl's small form. The ferry girl glances at the dirty bra glad she brought a traditional wrapping to replace it with, personally she found the binding more comfortable than contemporary bras, though they were more troublesome. She wraps Mae's chest while Kurama is occupied dicing vegetables and secures the glorified bandage with a small pin. After finishing dressing Mae Botan wipes the girl's face, cleaning the harsh makeup lines and the black smudges from the younger girl's face and brushes her hair until the strands float around her head in a white halo. Mae dozes off before the ferry girl finishes, the effects of the broth taking their toll on her small form._

 _"Do you think I should braid it?" Botan asks, placing the brush on the ground. Yukina looks over to see her guest asleep in the ferry girl's lap. A small smile illuminates the ice maiden's features at the sight as she nudges Kurama so he will look over to the adorable pair on the floor. Kurama also smiles at the sight, noting how Mae appears even younger when asleep._

 _"If you braid her hair it will help keep it from tangling again." Yukina states, turning down the heat on a vegetable dish as it nears completion. "It will also keep her hair from hanging in her face and make it easier to manage."_

 _Nodding in agreement Botan braids the silken strands while Kurama prepares another dose of kus flower broth. Finished, the ferry girl rests Mae's head on the stack of towels before rising to help Yukina finish lunch and set the extensive dining room table._

 _"Lunch is ready!" Botan announces cheerily, popping into the tea room for her announcement. The air in the room is thick with tension. Koenma, Yuske, and Kuwubara are pouring over a multitude of texts; the room more full of the dusty tomes and stacks of yellowed paper than when she'd left only an hour ago. She quirks an eyebrow when she doesn't see Hiei, but says nothing._

 _"Lunch?" Yuske asks, looking up from an especially thick text he's been studying. Dust is smudged across his face and his hair is in disarray from running his hands through it. His voice catches the attention of the other two who look equally exhausted by their work._

 _"Yup, lunch. In the dining room, but you should clean up first." She laughs, "all of you."_

 _Without another word she saunters from the tea room to finish moving the food to the large dining area adjoining the kitchen. As she and Yukina place the last of the serving dishes on the table Koenma enters, once again in his teenage form, presumably to appear more authoritative to Mae. He is followed by Kuwubara with Yuske trailing behind, practically dragging a very unhappy fire demon with him. "Damnit Hiei, just cooperate. Stop being an asshole for two seconds and-"_

 _"What did you just call me?" The fire demon growls, yanking his arm from the former detective's grasp._

 _"An asshole," Yuske replies, turning to face the difficult demon. "You need to pull your head out your ass, wipe the shit outta your eyes, take a breath of fresh air and calm the fuck down."_

 _At this point Hiei is furious, but he knows starting a fight at this point will only alienate him further, so he says nothing only moving to take is usual seat by the window. The others move tensely to their respective seats. No one really looks at each other, and no one moves to serve the food until Botan breaks the tension. "Yukina and Kurama just made this fabulous meal and all you dolts can do is stare at it, no offense Koenma sir, but seriously!"_

 _"Speaking of Kurama, where is he?" Kuwubara inquires, moving to help himself to the meal._

 _"He's trying to coax Mae to drink another dose of painkillers, something about staying on top of the pain." Botan responds, filling plates for both her and the ice maiden next to her. "Though she's much more agreeable on them, she even fell asleep while I was brushing her hair!"_

 _"I should hope so." The fox says, entering the room carrying Mae bridal style. She seems frail in the strong arms of the red head, the carefully tied yukata arranged so it won't fall open and reveal her bare legs. Her head rests on his shoulder, his wild mane falling around her so it appears as if the two colors mix. "The broth is the demon equivalent to morphine so she is out of pain, but also unable to attempt another escape."_

 _"Is it really that strong?" Yukina asks, glancing at the girl._

 _"Ah, well I've forbid her from walking for the next few days. I changed the bandages on her feet after waking her and the salve has already pushed out a large amount of dirt and infection, but I was also able to better see the state of the soles." He moves to sit, placing Mae in the seat next to him. She slumps slightly, as if unable to support her own weight under the influence of the drug. "They're worse than I originally imagined. Many of the gashes are deep and ragged, meaning if she puts weight on her feet they will most likely reopen."_

 _"Is she coherent at all?" Yuske asks, "She's no use like that if she can't even talk."_

 _"Yuske!" Kuwubara exclaims, "She couldn't talk before. She just waved her hands around to make words or something."_

 _"Sign language." Kurama interjects, but is cut off by the former detective before he can say more. "Well I didn't just spend the last hour reading books older than fucking Koenma just to have her be even more useless than before!"_

 _"Would she be of more use in agony?" Botan spit at the dark haired man. "I've seen that plant used before, it puts the patient in convulsions it's so harsh on the body!"_

 _"I think you're forgetting that you're the one who was originally attacked!" Kuwubara argues, joining the heated discussion. "Why do you even care what happens to her?"_

 _"Kazuma," Yukina scolds softly. "She doesn't know us, how can you expect her to allow us to simply step in and take over? She doesn't trust us, nor have we done anything to earn that trust."_

 _"Trust? You wanna talk about trust Yukina?" Yuske turns, the ice maiden now in the direct path of his anger. "You say she can't trust us, well we can't trust her! The way demons react when they touch her? How can you say that's anything other than an attack?"_

 _"Is that how you justify my actions detective?" Hiei says lowly. His entrance into the conversation takes the others by surprise. "If so that's an ineffective attack, as she is in no way able to control or over power me, or any other demon for that matter. I'll admit that I was influenced by whatever took place, but that makes me no less responsible. I still could have walked away."_

 _"Hiei…" Kurama looks after the fire demon as he leaves the room, his food untouched. He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, knowing this is the closest to an admission of guilt Hiei will ever come. A movement in the corner of his eye catches the fox's attention, he turns to find Mae, legs drawn up to her chest hugging her knees. The others follow his gaze. They'd forgotten Mae was present as she hadn't uttered a sound since entering the room. Only Koenma seemed aware of her presence throughout the argument, as his honey gaze studied her reactions intently._

 _"It would be foolish to allow this matter to divide us until we know more." The fox states, pulling his hair into a pony tail, "after tonight I will lower her dosage so she is more coherent. It won't be a problem."_

 _"I see." The spirit prince states, glancing at the girl in question, "well, we have much to discuss."_


	7. Chapter 6

Mae awakens to the sounds of voices filtering down the hallway. Cracking her eyes open she's able to see that she was never returned back to her room, instead spending the night on one of the overstuffed couches in the entertainment room. Slowly she pushes herself to a sitting position, wincing slightly at the weight on her bad wrist; she brings her left hand up to rub the looming headache from her temples, using her good arm to support herself. A slight shuffling of fabric draws Mae's attention. She looks over to see the ice maiden seated in an armchair nearby.

"Good morning." Yukina greets sweetly, a smile gracing her features. Mae nods in response, not returning the smile. Her expression is guarded as she regards the teal haired woman. The koorime looks tired, having opted for a pair of faded jeans and loose t-shirt with minimal make up; despite this her appearance is no less stunning than before. Mae swings her feet over the side of the couch to sit properly, smoothing out the material of her eggshell colored yukata as she takes a steadying breath. _I still don't know for sure who these people are, but I was never allowed out of my cell except for special occasions. Still, I shouldn't trust them. Even if they aren't the ones from before telling them too much could get them killed…_ Mae's thoughts are interrupted by soft footsteps approaching her. Cobalt eyes snap up to meet cherry red framed by familiar teal locks. "Are you in pain? Kurama said you might be when you woke up since you slept through the night."

Mae regarded the question warily, she knew better than to ask for anything. She'd learned that lesson the hard way.

 _ **"Are you thirsty?" A gravelly voice asks from the shadows. Mae struggles to lift her head from the freezing stone floor she's chained to. Her wild eyes search the shadows cast by the jumping flames of the torches lining the walls in regular intervals. A man steps from the shadows, long dark hair flowing around him. He looks completely out of place in the dim dungeon she's being kept in; expensive looking shoes reflect the fire light as he crouches in front of her, careful not to let his spotless trousers become sullied by the filth of her prison.**_

 _ **"How about some food?" The man offers, his expression soft; he seems genuine in his gesture, so Mae nods. She pushes herself to a seated position, trying to conceal her nudity from the kind stranger. Her captors had no use for clothing her. He is careful to avoid touching her directly as he hands her a chunk of strong smelling cheese and a thick slice of warm bread. Mae brings the treats to her face and inhales deeply; she can't remember the last time she ate. The man then sets a large container of water beside her. Clutching the food to her chest with one arm Mae snatches the metal bottle and sips hesitantly from it. Cool clean water runs through her, making the small girl's frame shudder at the pleasantness of it.**_

 _ **Mae proceeds to devour the gifts, pausing only once to offer her visitor some of her meal which he politely declines. She licks the last of the crumbs from her fingers, savoring the sweet nuttiness of the fresh bread. Full for the first time since boarding the plane that took her from her home in the states she leans back, carefully folding her legs and draping an arm across her chest to cover herself. The man rises to his feet, a satisfied smile crossing his face.**_

 _ **"Better?" He asks, slipping his slender hands into the pockets of his slacks. The stranger seems less kind than before, the dancing shadows licking at him menacingly. Mae nods, nervous at his tone. "Good. Now perhaps you can return the favor."**_

 _ **Mae regards the man, confused. He returns to his crouch, this time taking no heed of his fine clothes and resting his knees on the filthy floor. "It doesn't need to be this way. If you help me I'm more than willing to meet any need or want you should have."**_

 _ **Mae's eyes widen, the slight color in her face from her meal draining away. She shakes her head slightly to which the man sighs.**_

 _ **"Are you sure?" He asks, the kindness leaving his voice as he leans closer to the girl. Mae tries desperately to shrink further away, but there's nowhere for her to go. His face is centimeters from hers. Mae shudders, able to smell his foul breath as his venomous words reach her. "I just want you to remember that you did this to yourself."**_

Mae sits silently, fiddling with the sleeve of her yukata as Yukina tries to coax some type of response from the girl. "Please Mae, do you need the medication?"

Slowly the ghostly girl shakes her head; _this pain is nothing compared to before, or what is to come_. Unsure, the ice maiden regards the way Mae sits. Her limbs are drawn in close, muscles tense with pain from her injuries. Gone is the defiant façade from before. The girl before the ice maiden sits defeated, doing her best to become invisible. A troubled frown crosses the koorime's face as she sets the next dose of broth on the side table and rises. "I'll fetch the others from the tea room, wait here."

Within a minute the ice maiden returns with the group of increasingly familiar faces. They arrange themselves around the room, effectively blocking any potential escape. The group looks ragged and ill rested from having continued combing through the various spirit world texts. Koenma pulls the arm chair Yukina had previously occupied so he sits face to face with Mae. He has returned to his teenage form in an attempt to give an air of authority, though the strain from maintaining the older version of himself is evident; there are dark circles under his eyes and his clothes are rumpled and smudged with dust from reading the old texts throughout the night. He tosses a glance to the red headed fox who nods once before taking a seat on the oversized couch alongside Mae. Though the red head appears equally drained he still manages an air of grace and command as he sinks elegantly into the cushions of the couch.

"We have pieces of information," The spirit prince begins, scrubbing a tired hand over his face. He watches Mae closely, looking for any hints toward the answers they're seeking. Much to his dismay she is no more forthcoming than before. "We need you to fill in the blanks. Since you appear to have lost the ability to speak Kurama will act as your translator."

The albino girl regards the princeling warily. _This is either some type of sick joke or a test_ she decides. Folding her hands over her knees Mae drops her gaze, steeling herself for the expected blows from her previous interrogations. Much to her surprise the first strike never lands.She swallows her shock and steals a sideways glance at the red head beside her, not allowing her face to betray her thoughts as she locks her emotions away one by one. The others can see her carefully schooled features becoming stony as the silence extends.

"Mae, don't make this more difficult than it already has been." Botan says softly from her place behind Koenma. Her gentle eyes are unable to make contact with the small girl as Mae refuses to look up from her lap. The ferry girl runs a hand through her hair, pushing back any stray pieces. She's abandoned her pink kimono in favor of maroon lounge pants and a white tank, her hair has been gathered into a messy bun and it's apparent by the exhaustion in her voice that she spent the night running back and forth retrieving materials from spirit world. "I know you don't believe us, but we are only trying to figure out what's happened. We only want to help."

That last phrase hits Mae like a train. _Help_ , the word she'd held onto for so long. It was the word her captors had always offered before unleashing their worst punishments; and it was the last word to echo in her mind as the last of her hope died in that dark, cold dungeon. _There is no help._ When Botan leans forward to place a comforting hand over the girl's smaller ones Mae's eyes harden, she jerks back to avoid the contact. Her head snaps up and she glares at the older woman with an expression that reads _**liar**_. With a defeated sigh and shake of her head the blue haired woman retracts her hand and leaves to continue searching for answers in the ancient papers, taking with her Yukina, Kuwubara, and Yuske. The group knows that Hiei and Kurama will be more than enough in the way of guards.

"Due to your unwillingness to volunteer any information, and our inability to easily obtain further knowledge as to your past why don't I start by telling you what we do know? All I require of you at this point is confirmation of events, and explanations on them if you would care to share why some of these events took place." Koenma explains. He braces himself for the next few hours, knowing they will be just as exhausting as the entire night before. He dares to hope that Mae will be forthcoming with her answers, which will allow him to piece together her past and finally put this case to rest. Much to his dismay her eyes once again become emotionless as they come to rest on the spirit prince. Her posture is still defeated, though the prince can see her defiant nature under the surface.

"Mae," Kurama interjects, drawing her attention. "Yukina informed me that you didn't accept the broth this morning. By refusing the medicine not only will you heal more slowly, but you must surely be in pain."

The fox's level gaze roves over the girl, taking in each tense muscle and stiff joint. He notes how her movements are hesitant and jerky from the soreness of the burns. "I know that you don't believe us, nor do you have any reason to, but in accepting the medication we can begin to build that trust."

Mae's cobalt colored eyes widen slightly at his confession, turmoil swirls within their depths at his offer of the broth. The room seems to hold its breath as the red head holds out the cooling mug of kus broth; Mae hesitates a moment too long. Hiei, who had taken his place in the large window lost his patience and snarled "Kurama, stop playing nice. Force the damn woman to take the broth if she's too stupid to do so willingly."

"Hiei," The fox says lowly as Mae retreats further into herself. His emerald gaze never leaves the girl as he reprimands the fire demon, _I was so close damnit!_ "It isn't about power or strength. This is about proving to Mae that she has a choice, we need her to trust us."

Mae glances between the three men; _if I refuse their medicine they very well could force me to take it. The one in black has made that very clear, also the one in the chair, Koenma I think, isn't really giving me a choice about these questions of his. Maybe it would just be better to play along at this point, they say they want me to trust them so maybe I can trick them into trusting me and figure something out._ She extends her hand to the fox who graciously hands her the lukewarm drink. Taking a deep breath she downs the contents of the mug before the bitter taste can hit her. As she returns the cup to the table she can feel the tension in the room lessen. The effects of the broth hit her faster than expected as she slumps against the back cushions almost immediately. With a sigh she refocuses her attention on the honey eyed prince as best she can and slurs out **let's get this over with** , which Kurama eloquently translates into spoken form.

"Yes, let's begin." The spirit prince agrees, straightening his clothes and brushing some dust from the sleeve. Mae rolls her eyes at him; even drugged she still manages to give off an air of defiance. His honey colored orbs lock with her sapphire as he recalls the earlier conversation with his team.

 _ **"We've been reading these stupid books all night and haven't found anything!" The former detective exclaims, running his hand through his ebony locks for the umpteenth time. He pushes the ancient tome away and buries his head in his hands. "I can't take it anymore, if I wanted to study this much I would have actually gone to school!"**_

 _ **With a small chuckle Kurama looks up from his own text, setting it neatly on a large stack to his left. "Unfortunately I must agree with you, Yuske, this pursuit is proving to be less than fruitful. On top of that our guest will most likely be waking soon."**_

 _ **"She's hardly our guest." Kuwubara mutters, not bothering to look up while flipping through the dusty pages of a particularly thick book. This draws the attention of the others at the table. Koenma in particular, scrubs a hand across his face and pushes his reading away. The toddler prince removes his pacifier, setting it on the table and pushes his hat further up his head.**_

 _ **"That's not exactly fair, Kuwubara."The princeling says, exhaustion piercing his voice as he reaches for his long cold tea.**_

 _ **"It's true though," Botan responds. She pulls her hair into a sloppy bun and brushes her bangs from her face, smudging dust across her forehead. She stretches her arms above her head, arching her spine to relieve some of the stiffness accumulated throughout the night. "We not only constantly have someone watching her, but we chased her down and brought her back when she tried to leave, Kurama gave her soap that stripped the dye from her hair, Hiei and Yuske seriously injured her and locked her in a closet, and we drugged her because of those injuries. No offense Lord Koenma, but she's not our guest she's our prisoner."**_

 _ **Koenma's frown deepens with each point the ferry girl ticks off on her slender fingers. He pushes himself up, pacing across one of the few clear spaces on the table. From the corner Hiei glares at the blue haired girl for bringing further attention to his heinous actions from the day before. Emerald eyes slide over to meet garnet, the fox deciding to jump in before the fire demon could become more agitated.**_

 _ **"The problem is trust." The red head states, "We've given her no reason to trust us and every reason not to. If we ever want to find out Mae's past we'll have to earn her trust since Hiei doesn't have access to her mind."**_

 _ **"And how exactly do we do that?" Yuske asks, sarcasm creeping into his voice. "You want to explain who we are, what we do, all that to her? Oh, yeah Kurama, that's definitely going to make her trust us, that or she'll think you're crazy."**_

 _ **"Yuske does have a point, seeing as she was raised in the Catholic Church and doesn't believe demons exist on a physical level." Koenma states, he pauses in his pacing. "But so do you Kurama, so please, what do you suggest?"**_

 _ **"It's quite simple really. The closer a lie is to the truth the more plausible it is and the easier it is to maintain." Kurama states, folding his hands loosely, "as we are a type of organization we simply tell her that. We tell Mae that we investigate the paranormal, and that her case was misplaced for several years. We can also mention that while we are a global organization it's rare we operate outside of Japan."**_

 _ **"Hey that's a great idea!" Botan exclaims, a smile lighting up her face.**_

 _ **"It should be enough information to get Mae talking without completely debasing her beliefs and telling her who we really are." The fox finishes his explanation just as Yukina knocks on the door to announce Mae has awakened.**_

"My name is Koenma. I belong to a group of people who monitor strange activity, supernatural occurrences and such. Under normal circumstances we would have met much sooner, but due to some unforeseen events our investigation into your case has been delayed." The spirit prince pauses to gauge Mae's reaction. She merely lifts a single white brow at the brunette's confession, her sapphire eyes slightly unfocused from the pain medication. As Koenma allows the information to sink in a drugged grin spreads across her face. Her gaze slides from the spirit prince's to Kurama, who regards her skeptic look evenly; confused she fixes her eye on Hiei, cobalt orbs widening when he too seems unfazed by the ridiculous claim made. Slowly, she pushes herself up watching the faces of the three men closely. **You're joking right; I mean you can't be serious.** She signs slowly, the medication causing her to slur the signs and her fingers to stumble over each other.

"What? What is she saying?" Koenma asked, leaning further off the chair. Kurama shakes his head, "She doesn't believe us."

"What? Wait, what do you mean she doesn't believe us?" The spirit prince questions, panic tinting the edges of his voice.

"She asked if you were joking." Kurama responds, his usual amusement absent. His green eyes didn't dance as he met the prince's open gawk; instead they were chips of emerald ice. _Very well_ , the fox decides, _if Koenma can't sell it I will._

"Mae," He begins, turning sideways on the couch so he faced her directly. "This is serious, I know the notion seems ridiculous but we do deal with the abnormal; for the most part on a daily basis."

The drugs still clouding her system it's all Mae can do to keep from laughing. **So you're like what, ghost busters?** Her eyes are filled with mirth at her statement. With a sigh the red head reaches out, grasping her small hands in his own. "If that makes this easier to swallow, then yes, we are ghost busters, whatever that is; but I need you to take this seriously. I need you to trust us."

With this last statement Mae pulls away, regarding Kurama warily. That phrase again, that request, almost a plea, for her trust. _I do have to admit, by now they normally would have dropped the charade and resorted to their usual methods._ The fox studies Mae as she contemplates his words, he can see the kus broth is effecting her judgement, making her more receptive to persuasion. He glances at Koenma, giving the spirit prince a slight nod to continue.

"Ahem, yes, well we do know that when you were six our, um, sensors picked up a strange energy reading from you." The brunette glances at the file on his lap flipping it open, their extensive search the previous night had yielded meager results as to the mysteries surrounding the girl. He lifts the papers, shuffling through them before continuing. His amber eyes glimpse at Mae, whose terrified expression rests plainly on her face. His brows knit together as he turns back to the file, continuing. "We also know that your mother died almost a year after this initial reading, your father giving up his rights and abandoning you to the state the following year. We were also able to locate your digital file from the local government that oversaw the orphanage where you were placed. It says that when you were handed over you were in need of severe medical attention, but did not contain any explanation as to why. Do you care to elaborate at all?"

 _ **Smoke fills the small outdated kitchen as a seven year old Mae tries desperately to smother the flames of her burnt cooking. Before the small girl can escape the thick smoke burning her eyes and throat the back door to the small house slams open, the handle indenting the drywall further. Whirling around to face the sudden crash Mae shrinks back, attempting to disappear into the surrounding smolder.**_

 _ **"What the fuck is wrong with you, you stupid, ungrateful, waste?" The red faced man screeches, his hair in disarray and the smell of beer lingering on his breath. His stained shirt hangs from his gangly frame by only a few buttons while a half empty bottle dangles in his hand. The man stumbles across the small room, slurring curses at the child. Looming over the albino girl he grabs her arm to drag her from the space.**_

 _ **"I'm sorry!" Mae cries, her tiny hand pulling at his large fingers. "Daddy, I'm sorry! I'll do better I promise!"**_

 _ **"No." The man states, his tone leaves no room for argument. "This was your last chance, you knew that."**_

 _ **Ignoring her cries and pleas he drags his daughter across the uneven terrain of their small yard, allowing the sharp rocks to cut and scrape at her bare legs. Throwing open the door to what was previously his tool shed Mae's father stuffs her into a dog cage under the table of his work bench. Mae sobs dejectedly as the lock to the cage snaps shut the bars of the metal cage press into her hands and knees as she squeezes herself around to face the front.**_

 _ **"Please daddy!" She whimpers snot and tears running down her face as she looks out of her prison, at her father's legs. "I'm sorry! Daddy! Please, I'm sorry!"**_

 _ **Her father isn't swayed by her calls. He stomps out of the shed, closing and locking the door behind him. Mae swipes at her face in an attempt to clear the mess from her cheeks and nose, still whispering hoarsely "I'm sorry… I'll do better… I'm sorry"**_

 _ **Knowing her father won't return that night Mae presses herself into the far corner of her confinement, resting her head on the cold steel of the cage. Tears still occasionally leak from her eyes as she hugs her knees to her chest, trying to make herself as small as possible. The albino girl sniffs loudly as the familiar musty scent of rotting wood seeps into her nose through the snot. Her watery eyes scan the small area of the shed she can make out from her dark corner, but she knows nothing's changed, not since her mother died two months ago.**_

A light touch to her knee brings Mae out of the memory. Taking a shuddering breath Mae glances around the room to gather her bearings, releasing and smoothing the skirt of her yukata which she had clutched unknowingly. It had been a long time since she'd seen the inside of that dog crate or caught whiff of that musty smell, but still the recollection of that last year with her father haunts her. She looks up to meet Kurama's gentle gaze. His deep green eyes offer reassurance that Mae isn't sure she's ready to accept.

"Mae?" He questions, his voice soft and probing for answer he knows she holds. "Mae, the more we know the more we can help. If the broth is wearing off I can send Hiei to make more-"

"I'm not your errand boy, Kurama." Hiei retorts icily from his spot at the window. With a withering glare the fox turns to him. "Unless you have suddenly gained the ability to understand and translate sign language you will prepare the broth; unless that escapes you as well?"

The fire demon returns the fierce glower with his own scowl, but says nothing further as he storms from the room to prepare more of the petals for the broth. A satisfied smile rests on the red head's lips as he turns back to the pale girl. The grin slips away as he sees Mae paler than before and chewing on the inside of her cheek. Her stare is locked on the spot the dark haired demon had recently vacated, his eyes shifting between the two points the fox realizes that she's more uneasy around the fire demon than she lets on. _Reasonable, he did injure her quite severely, and shows no signs of remorse that she can discern_ he decides, delicately drawing her attention. "Mae, will you answer Koenma's question? Hiei is gone now, he won't hurt you again. I promise."

His promise gains not only the girl's attention, but the spirit prince's as well, who shoots him an angry look for making such a promise about someone as unpredictable as Hiei. Though, much to the brunette's surprise this seems to convince the girl in question as she nods shakily before raising her hands. _I can answer this much at least, maybe it will throw them off enough for me to form a plan. Besides, it isn't anything dangerous, really_ she decides, her hands forming the symbols for the words to share her past. **After my mother passed my father…** she falters for a moment, despair filling her small form; **my mother's death affected him severely. He mistreated me that last year, I was often kept in a dog cage without food or water. When I wasn't I was subject to his drinking, and his rage.** Mae pauses as Kurama translates, taking deep breaths to ward off the panic that threatens to set in as she explains her past.

"When she wasn't locked away she at least had the option to…hide, when her father's acquaintances would come over to drink that is. However, if she was in the cage, or not hidden well enough, they would often find her and-" The red head felt himself choke on the words as he interpreted Mae's story. At the last confession, he placed his hands over her own tugging them to her lap. No longer could he meet her cobalt stare, not knowing what he did now. _How could I ask for her trust, there was no way for me to have known before. Still, it's apparent some of these scars are much more recent, and if this is only the beginning…_

"And what Kurama?" The prince inquires, the color having drained from his face at the start of her confession. His eyes reflected the pain he knew the kind hearted fox felt for the girl. Kurama takes a shaky breath, releasing Mae's hands he stands to exit the room, pausing only to utter the words. "They took turns."

The remaining color leaves Koenma's complexion as he makes note in the file. He takes several breaths to steady himself, he had known gathering this information wouldn't be a walk in the park but this was nothing like he'd imagined. "I believe we're finished for now. Thank you."

The spirit prince rises from his seat stiffly, Mae's azure gaze following him as he turns to leave. At the doorway he turns back, offering a deep bow as a sign of apology and respect. She nods in acknowledgement, her blue eyes seeming to pierce the very soul of the spirit world prince as he disappears from her sight.


	8. Chapter 7

AN: This chapter contains graphic torture scenes; they are pertinent to the development of the character dynamics in this story, but not completely necessary to follow the plot. Reader digression is advised for this and following chapters.

Mae shifts fitfully in her sleep. Her alabaster skin shines in the dim light filtering through the large windows with a layer of sweat; her colorless hair sticks to her face and neck, pulling itself from its braid. Her breaths come rapidly, her chest barely moving with her shallow gasps. Eyes dance behind their lids. Shifting again Mae now faces the open room, her back to the cushions of the couch where she sleeps. Shortly after the second dose of broth Mae had fallen into a fitful slumber. The medicine allows her to sleep more deeply than usual. It also has made it nearly impossible for her to awaken from the memories that haunt her dreams.

Her current guard perches on the windowsill. His ruby gaze combs over her sleeping form. Hiei regards her with a slight amount of disdain, _stupid mouse with your stupid stories. Don't think I didn't hear the fox translating your ridiculous hand waving._ He moves to the arm chair, drawn when another wave of fitful throes disturb the small woman's rest. _What is it you're dreaming about,_ the koorime allows himself to wonder. _Your experiences with your father weren't that traumatic, worse happens in the Makai every day for less reason._ The dark haired demon removes the wrapping for his Jagan eye; he knows the chances of gaining access to her mind are slim to none, but his curiosity gets the better of him as his garnet orbs slide shut in concentration.

Hiei feels a barrier between himself and his goal; it's similar to the one from before. This time though, weakened both by the effects of the broth and sleep, the barrier gives way to the demon's will with only a slight nudge. Satisfied the jaganshi feels himself enter the mind of the mysterious girl. He glances around, finding himself surrounded by blackness in all directions.

The koorime frowns, turning in his weightless suspension in an attempt to orient himself. Finding nothing in any direction he growls lowly at the impenetrable blackness. Slowly the demon feels himself land on a hard surface, giving him a sense of up and down even though every surface remains an inky black. A faint echo catches the demon's attention. Allowing his curiosity to get the better of him, Hiei heads in the direction of the echo, willing his ears to make out the faint words. He continues to follow the soft reverberations until he hits an invisible wall with enough force to knock the fire demon on his ass. As he allows himself to drift further into Mae's consciousness, forgetting himself, Hiei can begin to make out the faint echo tugging at the edges of his mind. _Glory be to the Father…as it is now, and ever shall be… amen._

 _A bright light assaults the demon's eyes as he opens them. Wincing he screws his eyes shut against the painful glare, cracking them once more when he feels he's adjusted to the light. A chill makes itself known to his body, looking around he can see that he's been chained to a large metal table. The chains binding his wrists bite the tender skin, pulling and pinching in a manner that is not only annoying, but increasingly difficult to ignore. The bright light comes from a surgical lamp positioned directly over him. Confused, the fire demon attempts to free himself, only to find that his limbs refuse to move at his command._

 _It's then that it dawns on him; by entering Mae's mind he has stumbled into her dream and upon what appears to be a memory. Hiei grits his teeth with frustration, this will be no simple observation, and he is going to be forced to experience the memory from Mae's point of view. With a small growl the koorime resigns himself to wait out the memory rather than forcibly remove his consciousness and try again, knowing he will only be able to experience the extent of Mae's human senses._

 _With this resignation Hiei notices a voice at the edge of his senses. He can't quite make out the words, damn girl and her human ears. The voice stops and there is a clinking of metal before a searing pain rips through the demon's lower abdomen. Hiei gasps at the icy heat that settles over his stomach as blood pours freely from the wound. He is unprepared for the sensation of hands reaching inside the exposed cavity. While this is not especially painful it does create an uncomfortable pressure in the exposed cavity that the fire demon tries to squirm away from, only to find that this borrowed body is once again ignoring his commands. A sickening squelch fills the room as the torturer removes his hands from Hiei's guts, bringing a section of intestine to lie across his body._

 _The organ glistens in the flourecent lighting, a slightly nauseous feeling settles over the demon at the sight of his innards resting outside his body._ _ **Not my body,**_ _he reminds himself,_ _ **Mae's**_ _. The koorime feels his chest tighten uncomfortably as the torturer grips the exposed organ lightly before twisting it between his brutish hands. Hiei's breath leaves him as he feels an incredible wrenching in his lower gut at the action. The muscles of his abdomen twitch and cramp pathetically in an attempt to protect the organ from the abuse. Unsatisfied at the lack of reaction the brute reaches his arm into the exposed innards below him. This time the hand snakes around the organs, making Hiei feel as if he's ripping apart from the inside out. The torturer's hand stops at the diaphragm, caressing the membrane gently. From the edge of his vision the fire demon can make out a sadistic smirk._

 _"Are you ready to cooperate now girl?" The voice asks. Hiei turns his gaze upward in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the assailant, but is only able to make out a vague shadow, since Mae's line of sight doesn't change. "I can guarantee if you don't this will get a whole lot worse. You do remember what happened last time don't you?"_

 _Claw tipped fingers threaten to puncture the thin membrane, scraping across the area slowly. Hiei takes shallow breaths, feeling as though sand has lodged itself in his lungs. His diaphragm grates against the sharpened tips of claw with each inhalation. The koorime grimaces internally, his attention being drawn from the present situation by a faint echo rattling in the depths of his consciousness. Curiosity peaked, he turns his attention from the torturer to the faint sound tugging at the back of his mind, only for it to have disappeared as suddenly as it came. Uneasy at this point the koorime returns his attention back to the situation in anticipation of the girl's answer. He expects to feel a slight inclination of her head, or perhaps a verbal confirmation of the threat._

 _Memory Mae gives no response._ _ **This isn't the first time she's been tortured by this creature then**_ _. Hiei concludes,_ _ **I can tell it's not human by the scent of rotting meat hanging in the air around the creature, so that must mean she was captured by demons at some point; but to what end?**_ _The jaganshi is torn from his thoughts by the feeling of his fingers being ripped from their proper alignment. A scream rips through him as the phalanges are dislocated one joint at a time, though the only sound in the memory is the sound of tendons popping out of place. The digits throb with each beat of his heart, the heady ache climbing its way up his arms as the fingers rest uselessly against the solid cold of the table. The fire demon feels the room begin to sway, his bleary vision searching frantically for a focal point on which to anchor his vision._

 _He tries to close his eyes and focus solely on the sturdy chill of the table beneath him, but in the memory Mae simply stares just to the left of the light dangling from the ceiling. A faint echo draws the demon's attention once more, this time it is more discernable than before, allowing Hiei to catch some of the words before they fade away once more._ The Lord is with thee… Holy Mary… pray for us sinners… _The fire demon tries to focus his consciousness on the faint voice filtering through the throbbing threatening to crush him as the pain claws its way through his body. He floats to the surface of his awareness, unable to immerse himself in the protection of his own mind._

 _Panting, Hiei steels himself for the next onslaught to the girl's body. It comes with such suddenness the fire demon is unable to muster the breath to form a scream. Electricity hums through his useless fingers, up his arms and spreads to the rest of him. His body convulses under the abuse. The demon feels his back arch from the table, the restraints digging into the tender flesh of his wrists and ankles. Unable to maintain this position, his body slams back down, banging noisily against the metal beneath him. This pattern continues, forming bruises along his body. The electricity causes his heart to start and stop sporadically._

 _Unable to form coherent thoughts due to the charges running through him all the demon can hold onto is the light mounted above him. Once his muscles are too fatigued to move him in the possessed dance the torture elicits he twitches weakly as the energy courses through him. The metal table grows hot under the electric current, prolonging the shocks and burning the sensitive skin of his ass. The demon can feel tears threatening to spill from his own eyes, though the girl in the memory remains unmoved by the onslaught._

 _Faintly he can smell singed hair through his delirium. The throbbing ache in his joints ceases as immediately as it began, leaving a sense of emptiness that causes the demon to fight back a groan. Hiei shudders at the ghost shocks still running through his limbs, causing him to twitch involuntarily. Desperately he tries to close his eyes against the memory, unwilling to endure more, but finds himself still staring at that damned light. A realization dawns on him,_ _ **this is how she defied them. She refused to close her eyes, to scream, to give into the pain-**_ _once again his thoughts are interrupted. A strange sensation lodges itself in the pit of his stomach as the creature once again lays hands on Mae's body._

 _"Very well, let's try something else shall we." The voice mutters darkly. For the first time Hiei finds himself beginning to panic as he desperately tries to place the sensation he's experiencing when the realization slams into his consciousness. His suspicions are confirmed when a slight pressure is felt on his inner thigh. The touch is cool, not at all what he was expecting._

 _A sharp pain and the feeling of skin separating tear away the previous sensation. A different type of burning builds around the injury, an unpleasant tingling beginning to set in; like when an appendage falls asleep for too long. The demon draws a shuddering breath as the coolness of what he now knows is a blade is removed from between his legs. As the weapon is withdrawn the burning sensation returns tenfold as he feels himself being sliced open. He fights back the bile rising in his throat as he feels the thickness of Mae's blood force itself from the wound to pool beneath him in a wet, sticky puddle. The shadow once again enters the jaganshi's vision and this time he is able to make out the grotesque features of his torturer. The demon is burly, probably a middle class demon given his humanesque form. The creature has heavy features that overwhelm his face and sharp, mean eyes the color of dried dirt. Hiei snarls at the demon, though he knows he won't be heard._

 _"You like that don't you, you little bitch." The demon growls, a sadistic grin stretching his features unpleasantly. "You human sluts are all the same; you'll do anything to have something between your legs won't you?"_

 _It was then his mind fully remembered that this was Mae's memory, not his own. He had become so engulfed in the sheer brutality of the torture that he had forgotten that he was in the mind of the strange human girl, back in the safety of the late Genkai's temple. He was experiencing the event in Mae's body, not his own. This meant that even though his consciousness was accustomed to types of pain he'd endured so far the fire demon was sorely unaware of what it felt like to be violated as a female. Gritting his teeth Hiei willed his eyes shut, much to his dismay Mae did not relent and simply continued to stare directly into the single surgical light dangling above them._

 _He tensed as he felt the icy steel brush across Mae's pelvis, the point of the blade dipping lower until it reached the top of that delicate area. Hiei felt himself ripping open as the knife was slid into the hilt. There was a slight pause once the blade was buried deep inside Mae. The raven haired demon could feel a horrified wail welling up in his chest as the same pain came again when the knife was removed. Seemingly unsatisfied with Mae's lack of response the demon began to cut more haphazardly, his careful motions becoming frenzied. Past the point of crying out the fire demon gasped unceremoniously as he felt an unbearable heat pouring from Mae's center as blood streamed from the various cuts and gashes to her womanhood._

 _"Damnit, why won't you scream!" The demon exclaims angrily, stabbing the knife deep into Mae's right thigh. At this point Hiei's frayed consciousness can register no more pain, only the pressure created from the blade entering Mae's leg. The edges of Hiei's vision begin to darken as the demon moves away from the table, and he feels a slight tug at the threshold of his mind. He hears a slight echo once more, the words clearer than before._ Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection… _**Is this voice Mae?**_ _The koorime wonders,_ _ **foolish girl, there's nobody here to protect you…**_ _He dares to allow himself to slip away as the scene before him fades._

 _Before he can untangle himself from Mae's consciousness another memory entraps the koorime. This time he is suspended from the ceiling by his wrists. He tries to flex the muscles in his arms only to remember that he is simply a spectator in these events. However, the demon would have been unable to move regardless, for his arms have long since atrophied and each joint has painstakingly slipped from place as the strength in his muscles gave out. His shoulders ache from the stress of the overextended tendons,_ _ **she's been left like this for days if not weeks**_ _he realizes grimly. The fire demon tries to lift his head to look around, only to find Mae staring sightlessly at the ground. He growls in frustration at the confinements and his apparent helplessness at the situation._

 _Unable to observe his external surroundings the koorime settles for noting each and every sensation he feels through Mae. He winces as he feels the tendons from her dislocated joints stretch further, threatening to rip under the meager weight of her frail body. The shackles around her wrists bite into the raw skin, allowing blood to occasionally trickle down and pool at the junction of her neck and shoulder. A damp chill hangs in the room, adding to Mae's difficulty breathing and creating a dull throb at the base of his skull._ _ **How has she not suffocated?**_ _He muses mildly,_ _ **humans can't withstand this position for long without dying…**_ _When the demon turns his attention to the lower half of her body he finds the answer._

 _A slight slickness coats Mae's stomach and legs. This, coupled with the dank air in the cell allows Hiei to draw the conclusion that this room is periodically filled part way with sea water from the Makai._ _ **If I weren't limited by her pathetic human senses I would be able to confirm whether or not she was being held in the Makai, but if she were she should be dead. Humans can't withstand the miasma in the air there.**_ _Regardless of if they are in the Makai, the periodic raise in water would allow for some of the pressure to be taken off Mae's respiratory system as she became buoyant._

 _After what seems to be an eternity of hanging from his wrists a clanging draws his attention. Mae doesn't look up, so Hiei is unable to look around, having to settle for what he can make out from her peripherals. He hears someone approach, judging by their gait a much larger demon than the one from his previous experience. No words are voiced as the creature approaches._

 _Without warning a searing pain snakes its way across his back, and before he can recover it comes again. Hiei's chest heaves as the whip cuts into Mae's back, he's too overwhelmed to feel the extent of the pain. The onslaught is merciless and unrelenting; the demon never falls into a pattern and never seems to hit the same spot twice, though he does confine himself to her back and her legs. However, this does not prevent the edges of the lashes from licking across other parts of her body. As the senseless whipping continues the first injuries begin to burn. The pain wells from deep within the torn muscle; the fire demon tries again to scream, only to find that Mae refuses to utter a sound. As suddenly as the demon entered the cell he exits, leaving Hiei hanging and confined to Mae's consciousness in that dungeon. At this point the demon can feel her back literally hanging from the bone. While there is no distinct pain, which confuses him at first, the faint plink of her blood hitting the stone floor is the only sound that filters through the ringing in his ears._

 _The koorime allows himself to pant at the pain of the whipping as well as the effort it's taking to quell the rising terror within his chest._ _ **Pathetic**_ _, he berates himself as he tries unsuccessfully to reign in his emotions. His anxiety only grows as he hears the door open once more. This time, however, light footsteps brusquely cross the stone floor to stand behind him. The fire demon tries to flinch away as he feels slender fingers prod his shredded back, though they cause no further pain. After a moment the fingers withdraw. They are replaced by freezing water which causes the caked blood and dirt to stream down his abused body in tiny rivulets and puddle on the floor beneath him._

 _He shivers as the icy water robs Mae's body of any residual heat, leaving him achingly numb. Once the water dripping from his toes to the floor holds no more grime the glacial shower ends. The fingers return, only this time they are accompanied by small shocks of electricity. With each shock the pain in his back grows, until he is openly crying out in pain. The ache in his arms is drowned by the sensation of nails being driven into his spinal cord and along each nerve in his back. While the koorime openly sobs, Mae remains silent. Her only reaction is a slight hitch in her breath and the occasional whispered groan._ _ **Why?**_ _Hiei wonders, his mind clouded from the pain,_ _ **what purpose could this possibly serve? Why does she defy them?**_ _Once the nerves of Mae's back have been reattached the slender hands begin their next task, it feels as though they are stitching his wounds shut. This pain is insignificant compared to earlier, much to his surprise the jaganshi falls asleep to the tugging of his shredded back into a semblance of something whole; longing to hear the soothing echoes at the edges of his mind once more, even if they are nonsense._

 _Hiei wakes with a start. He doesn't open his eyes right away, opting instead to relish the feeling of the soft bed beneath him._ _ **Only two of her memories**_ _he says to himself reproachfully._ _ **Two of her memories and I'm reduced to a sniveling heap. Pathetic.**_ _With this thought he allows his garnet colored eyes to drift open and survey the room only to have dread settle in the pit of his stomach. He was not, as he'd hoped, back in the safety of his own mind and the temple. No, he still resides within Mae's memories._

Moonlight filters through the large windows of the entertainment room, illuminating the two figures residing on the overstuffed furniture there. Kurama shuffles into the room, rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes with the arm that isn't carrying fresh bandages. His emerald eyes scan the room, slightly shocked he hadn't been greeted by a grumpy fire demon as soon as he'd crossed the threshold. The fox combs an agitated hand through his flame colored locks, setting the fresh bandages on a nearby surface.

"Hiei?" The red head calls softly, his eyes narrowing at the faint glow coming from the koorime. When the fire demon doesn't respond Kurama moves around the chair that has been pulled to face the couch, and its current occupant, in which Hiei currently resides. A gasp catches in the fox's throat at the sight that lies before him.

Hiei sits motionless, slumped in the overstuffed chair, his cloak and scarf discarded over the back of the furniture. His eyes are closed, hiding their garnet color, while his left hand clutches the headband the fire demon usually uses to cover his Jagan Eye. His other hand grips the arm of the chair, gouging the material so the stuffing spills out onto the floor. A troubled frown rests on the dark haired demon's face, while his Jagan regards the girl before him in an unsettling manner. The usually active eye is focused solely on the small girl, its pupil constricted to a pinpoint.

"Hiei, Hiei can you hear me?" The fox tries again, pulling his previously loose hair into a low hanging ponytail. Gone is any thought of sleep as the redhead carefully beholds his friend and the strange girl. When the koorime still doesn't respond, Kurama reaches out hesitantly and lightly shakes his friend to no avail. The fox then turns his attention to Mae, who appears to be sleeping. Her white hair is splayed about her head, having come free from the braid long ago. Her mouth is open in a silent cry and Kurama watches as tears stream down her cheeks. Convinced that something must be done, he moves between the smaller demon and the girl, sliding an arm under her head and another under her legs. As he goes to stand, the redhead feels a hand on his arm.

Setting the girl back on the couch, he turns to face the koorime. Sharp emerald eyes meet sightless garnet. Kurama frowns; though Hie's eyes have opened he shows no signs of being aware of his surroundings. His concern growing Kurama moves away, _I should inform the others of this,_ he decides and makes his way to the guest rooms. He casts a worried glance over his shoulder, the fox's eyes flash gold momentarily, before he turns to fetch his companions.

The fox returns to the entertainment room, Koenma, Yuske, and Kuwubara in tow. He flicks on a lamp, allowing the soft light to illuminate the room in the absence of the moon during the early morning hours. The group remains silent at first, Koenma stepping forward to examine Mae and Hiei. The princeling circles them, sucking pensively on his pacifier as his teddy bear footie pajamas scuff lightly on the hardwood floor.

"You said you tried to wake him?" The toddler prince asks, turning to face the redheaded demon. Kurama nods, his green eyes dark as he regards the two lightly glowing figures.

"When he wouldn't wake I tried to move Mae." The fox adds, crossing his arms. "That was when Hiei opened his eyes, but he still seemed like he was in a trance."

"Well," Koenma begins, scratching the back of his head. "I can honestly say I have only ever heard of a psychic connection like this."

"Like what?" Yuske asks, a frown marring his handsome features. The dark haired man leans against the doorway, worry painted across his features.

"You have to understand this is very rare," Koenma explains, seating himself on the edge of the low coffee table in the middle of the room. "Hiei is trapped within Mae's mind."

"He's what?" Kuwubara exclaims, jaw dropping in shock, while Yuske shouts at the same time, "How's that even possible?"

"Hiei told us that there was a barrier around Mae's mind, one that he couldn't easily break or slip past." The princeling continues, pacifier dangling from the corner of his mouth much like a cigarette. "Somehow, he was able to gain access to her mind and now he's trapped."

"I thought the Jagan was one of the most powerful psychic tools that's in existence." Kurama comments, "How could he be trapped?"

"See, that's where I'm at a loss." The toddler admits with a sigh. "Usually, this is only seen when one psychic tries to enter the mind of another with comparable ability. Since we know nothing of the energy reading spirit world picked up or any potential abilities Mae might possess, there's nothing we can do."

"Will he be okay?" Kuwubara asks softly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his blue sleep pants.

"Of course he will." Yuske replies, equally unsettled by the news, "It's Hiei, he's the toughest bastard I've ever met. He'll be fine."

Kurama glances at his long-time friends from the corner of his eye, knowing the former detective's trying to convince himself as much as the others. With a weary sigh the fox sinks into the second armchair, folding himself comfortably into the seat and smoothing the creases from his own cream colored pajamas.

"I'll stay here with them," He says, "and I'll let you know if anything changes."

"Very well." Koenma replies, following the other two from the room. When they've gone the red head rests his head on the back cushion and pulls the hairband from his fiery mane, allowing the ruby colored locks to spill over his shoulders and down his back. He regards the glowing fire demon from beneath his lashes, apprehension forming a pit as it settles in his chest.

The koorime's molten ruby eyes stare into the distance, seeing things only he and Mae are privy to. _Where are you, Hiei?_ Kurama asks, his brow furrowing in disquiet. With a soft huff, the fox turns his attention to Mae. Her face is contorted to display her agony in her slumber. He watches as the frail girl's chest rises and falls in uneven gasps. Knowing there's nothing he can do, the fox allows slumber to pull him under.

A voice calling his name draws the redhead from his slumber all too soon. Emerald orbs flutter open to behold the offender. The fox unfolds himself from the chair, stretching the stiffness from his joints. He turns, his expression warming considerably when he catches sight of who woke him. "Hiei."

"Kurama," The fire demon returns, struggling to maintain his neutral façade. He glances between the fox and the slumbering girl on the couch, his expression haunted. He takes a shaky breath, drawing concern from Kurama at the uncharacteristic action, and tries again. "Fox… we should… I, I need some air."

With that he rises and pulls his headband over the Jagan once more. He turns and heads to the side entrance, leaving the door open as an invitation for the fox to follow. Curious, he rises and makes his way after the smaller demon, pausing only momentarily to cast a single glance at the girl who's stumbled so unceremoniously into their lives. He joins the fire demon in the chill of the early autumn morning, crossing his arms in an attempt to ward off the cold seeping through his thin pajamas. The fox comes to stand next to the smaller demon, watching him from the corner of his eye as they face the forest, watching the first rays of light peek over the trees.

"We were worried about you." The redhead says, breaking the silence between them. "When I went to relieve you and you didn't wake, Koenma, Yuske, and Kuwubara, they came to try and help."

"Hn" The koorime grunts, not taking the opportunity to take a jab at the carrot top. He folds his arms and leans on the banister, his natural heat radiating from his muscular frame in waves. Garnet eyes slip closed as his head dips wearily. After a moment he turns to face Kurama, the only one of their proclaimed group he trusts with any of his secrets.

"I saw," He says simply, his eyes becoming haunted once more as he struggles to maintain eye contact with the fox. His statement draws a frown from the taller demon, the fox shifting his quickly numbing feet on the deck to a more comfortable position. Hiei's normally arrogant gaze peers hesitantly from beneath dark lashes. He reads the apparent question on the redhead's face and heaves a sigh before elaborating. "I was trapped in her memories."

"Oh" Kurama replies, doing his best to be patient with the smaller demon, fortunately he doesn't have to wait much longer before the floodgates burst.

"It wasn't a lot, and it wasn't in any sort of order, but I saw. No, that's not right, Kurama I've never experienced someone else's memories so vividly." The fire demon turns away suddenly, trying to hide his distress at the situation. "I, I forgot they weren't my memories. I felt it, all of it. I saw what they did to her… "

"Hiei?" The fox inquires softly as the fire demon trails off. Garnet meet Emerald with such ferocity Kurama almost steps back.

"Don't question her about anything else, tell the brat to drop it." He holds up a hand when the redhead opens his mouth in protest. "No Kurama, I'll tell him what I was able to piece together, but only if he leaves her alone."

The fox's eyes widen slightly at the fire demon's announcement, _my Hiei, when did you become so chivalrous?_ Deciding against teasing the koorime, Kurama simply nods in response, and asks, "What happened?"

"She was kidnapped, by a group of demons and taken to the Makai." The fire demon begins, turning to regard the sleeping girl through the bay windows. "I have no idea how they managed to keep her alive there. I don't know for sure that's where she was kept, but in some of her memories I could see the sky; that and there were never any other humans, only demons… and they tortured her. Kurama, humans are weak, they aren't meant to survive torture administered by demons… but she did. That tiny, stupid girl somehow managed to survive and walk away from something that would kill most demons."

"How?" Kurama breathed, shocked at Hiei's admission. The smaller demon held only contempt for humans, never before had the fox seen a semblance of respect for a human from the koorime. Fighting to keep his surprise to himself, the redhead remained silent when Hiei simply shrugged and headed back to the warmth of the entertainment room, pausing momentarily to announce, "I have no idea."


	9. Chapter 8

AN: I hadn't anticipated this update taking so long, hopefully the next one will come more quickly. Unfortunately I can't make any promises as I've started student teaching, but I've finally managed to finish moving so I do have a little more time to write. As always, enjoy the chapter and feel free to drop me a review or a message.

 _The Prince of Spirit world and a fearsome fire demon share a pot of tea…_ Kurama muses to himself, doing his best to hide a smile. _It sounds like the set up for a bad joke._ The fox straightens his charcoal colored sweater as he glances between the two. They sit opposite each other; Hiei glares vehemently at the princeling, tight lipped and silent as ever despite his earlier claim that he would inform them of what he could. Regardless of the poisonous looks being directed at him, Koenma waits patiently for the koorime to begin while nursing his latest cup of tea.

"Hiei," Kurama says softly, leaning his elbows on the table. "Tell us what you saw last night."

"Leave, fox," Hiei replies, not taking his eyes from Koenma. "Don't you need to prepare more of that broth for the girl anyways?"

"I see, very well." The redhead rises, taking his own steaming mug with him. _Once Hiei has made up his mind about something there's no changing it,_ the fox muses silently, _though I must admit it's strange to see him so troubled over the matter; and I can't deny my own curiosity._ When Kurama pauses at the sliding door Hiei turns his attention to the fox. "They are memories fox, you can't change them."

The koorime then turns away dismissively, unwilling to say more until he and Koenma are alone. Knowing further argument is futile; Kurama leaves them to check Mae's bandages. _I should also probably keep Yuske and Kuwubara from tearing the temple apart, they aren't pleased at being banned from this conversation. Not that I can say I feel differently…_

In the tearoom Hiei shifts in his seat, searching for a more comfortable position. He sighs, leaning back and turning his attention to the ceiling. Koenma quickly grows impatient as he waits for the koorime to speak again. Then, so suddenly it takes the spirit prince by surprise, Hiei says, "You should have found her sooner."

Koenma opens his mouth, an indignant reply forming on his lips. Before he can say anything Hiei locks his fiery gaze on the prince's and adds, "If you had I wouldn't have had to watch as she was mutilated, raped, and abused last night."

"How did you manage to enter her mind?" Koenma inquires, having no defense against the koorime's statement. "I thought you said there was a barrier around her mind that you couldn't break."

"Mental barriers are weaker when a person's asleep." The ruby eyed demon responds, "That paired with the broth allowed me to enter her mind."

"I see." Is Koenma's only reply as he continues to alternate between sucking on his pacifier and sipping his lukewarm tea. The spirit prince's apparent nonchalance at the situation sparks annoyance within the koorime.

"I told Kurama I would tell you what I was able to see while I was in her mind, only because you don't realize how much damage your bureaucracy has caused." Hiei growls. "All your stupid paperwork and you still can't keep your affairs in order. You create tragedies and expect others to clean them up for you, and the ones you can prevent, you allow to happen anyways."

"That's a hefty accusation Hiei." Koenma states tiredly, he pinches the bridge of his nose in an attempt to keep his cool under the fire demon's anger.

"It's fucking true, Koenma!" Hiei growls, "This girl was beaten and neglected by her caretaker, then abandoned by that same man. Not only that, but I'm sure she was kidnapped by demons and held in the Makai. Please, tell me how this isn't spirit world's fault."

"Wait, how do you know she was kidnapped by demons?" The spirit prince asks, abandoning his tea and snatching the worn file from its place by his elbow.

"I was in her head." Hiei replies lowly, glaring daggers at the toddler.

"And you're sure she was held in the Makai?" Koenma mutters, flipping through the meager contents of the folder. _This confirms my worst fears, if demons got their hands on her, there's no telling what happened…_

"Fairly sure." The koorime replies, "My senses were limited to what the girl was able to experience."

"What?" Koenma states, shocked. "I thought the Jagan would prevent something like that."

"In most cases it would." Hiei states and levels the toddler prince with a cool glare. When Koenma stares blankly at the demon in response the koorime sighs and shifts to a more comfortable position. "The majority fall into two types-"

"Types? Types of what?" Koenma questions', knowing he may never again gain this type of insight into the Jagan eye and making notes on a spare sheet of paper for later; the koorime glares at the interruption, but continues his explanation.

"Consciousness. Two types of consciousness; there are some, like Kurama, who keep everything in neat little files and group these files together. Then there are others, like the detective, who have everything swirling around and connected by emotion, like a ball of string." Hiei says, his garnet eyes studying the spirit prince as the brunette furiously jots down the information. "Mae's mind was neither. I've only seen a mind like hers once before-"

"Who?" Koenma questions, which interrupts the fire demon once more.

"The demon who gave me my Jagan," the koorime replies after a moment of hesitation, and glares lightly at the toddler again. "But even his mental prowess seems unimpressive when compared to the girl's."

"How so?" Koenma reaches for the still steaming pot and pours himself another cup of tea in preparation for Hiei's explanation.

"Imagine a maze." The demon begins, "Now try to navigate that maze in near darkness, while the path constantly changes so you can never go back the way you came. It's easy to become lost in a mind like this; an inferior psychic would be lost to this world."

"I see," The prince murmurs, making further notes on the subject. "What of her memories? Were you able to gather any information that could be helpful?"

"Not particularly." Hiei states, he rises from his seat at the table and moving to his familiar sill. "The memories were in no particular order, and the majority of them were of her time as a captive. Those demons inflicted the worst torture they could imagine. They took her to the brink of death and brought her back, just to do it again."

At the toddler prince's questioning look the fire demon elaborates, his garnet eyes hardening at the explanation. "They covered her in tar once. Do you know how hot tar has to be to become liquid enough to cover a person? It has to boil, Koenma. She was covered in boiling tar; her skin was burned past recognition. Then, when the tar cools, it shrinks. Her skin literally peeled from her muscles, but she was still sweating from the heat of her burns. Without her skin to protect her she nearly froze to death while sweating profusely and suffocating from the tar constricting her chest."

"Kami" Koenma swore softly, silently wondering at the demon's motives behind the girl's torture. His eyes had widened to the size of saucers and his face was white as death as Hiei relayed one of Mae's gruesome memories. The spirit prince closes the file, unable to record the event. He feels Hiei's garnet glare boring into him and nods to show he's prepared for the next set of events.

"They kicked you out too, huh?" Yuske questions as the fox enters the living area once more, carrying fresh bandages and another cup of steaming broth.

The red head nods as he sets the tray on a rather large coffee table. Brushing his hair from his face, Kurama hands Mae the latest dose of painkillers before turning to Yuske. "Yes, Yuske, Hiei preferred to keep the conversation private, though I'm sure we will be informed of what we need to know."

"Yeah, well we all know how that works well enough." The former detective grumbles as he readies the gaming system, insinuating that they will be told nothing until the last possible moment. His he watches from the corner of his eye as Mae accepts the steaming mug, her sleeve slipping down to reveal the makeshift cast on her wrist. _Trust_ echoes through Mae's mind as she raises the mug, sipping the steaming liquid as she watches the fox kneel to examine her feet. She barely manages to fight off a wince as the red head unravels the bandages, exposing her damaged appendages to the cool mountain air in the temple.

Kurama inspects the damage meticulously, noting how her feet are healing at a surprisingly accelerated rate. _Even at this rate it will still be several days before she's able to walk without delaying the healing_ , he observes while readying the new wrappings. Curious, the detective cocks his head to get a better look at the girl's feet. A grimace plants itself on his face when he sees the telltale green of infection on the soiled bandages, and he can't help but comment, "Damn, that looks bad."

Kuwubara grunts in agreement at the dark haired man's statement, while the fox purses his lips slightly in order to fight the inevitable sigh that threatens to escape him. The red head watches the small girl from the corner of his eye to make sure she finishes the broth before returning her cup to the coffee table. As he finishes rewrapping Mae's feet he notices her picking at the bandage on her neck.

"Leave it," He chides, pulling her hands away gently. "If you bother it, it won't heal."

 **It itches.** She signs, her movements sloppy from the broth and cast. Kurama's brow furrows slightly at her claim, _the broth should keep any of her injuries from bothering her._ He motions for her to lean her head back so he can better access the bandage. When she complies the fox expertly removes the wrapping, his emerald eyes widening in barely contained shock at what he sees. Unable to help himself, Kurama runs a hand over the unmarred surface. When Mae flinches at the touch he withdraws, still amazed at the girl's uncanny healing ability.

"That must be some medicine, Kurama." Yuske comments, his own coffee colored eyes wide as saucers as he recalls the damage inflicted only two days prior. The fox glances at the two men, giving the former detective a grateful nod when the brunette elbows Kuwubara in order to keep him from drawing more attention to the situation. Confusion plays across Mae's face as she raises her uninjured hand to trace the healed skin with delicate fingers. _Even I know medicine can't heal something that quickly,_ she notes silently, _what are they keeping from me?_

Rising from his position on the floor the red head delicately seats himself on one of the oversized arm chairs, half paying attention to the boys as the return to their video game and focusing the rest of his energy on trying to communicate with the silent girl, as to distract her from her superhuman recovery. She watches the fox from the corner of her eye, pretending to stare blankly at the wall beside the T.V., as though it's perfectly normal for a third degree burn to heal in only a day and a half. Mae pointedly ignores him when he lightly clears his throat, clasping her hands firmly in her lap and keeping her back ram rod straight despite the effects of the medication.

"So why don't you talk?" Yuske inquires, shattering the tense silence without looking away from his game. A hint of guilt is laced into his question, his previous aggravation with Mae's rebellion seemingly gone at the sight of her injuries. _He must feel guilty,_ the red head muses from his seat, somewhat glad that he's not alone in his curiosity. _Yuske is the type to blame himself for her injuries after all, and to have enough sense not to question how the worst of Mae's burns could be mended in such a short time._ Much to Kurama's surprise, and mild amusement, the white haired girl unclasps her hands and signs. **I can't.**

"You said that," The former detective responds to Kurama's verbalization of the statement, still focused on beating his larger companion at their game "but why?"

 **I haven't been able to since I was twelve.** She states, the red head continuing to act as translator. Sensing this explanation is still insufficient, and suspecting they can do little with the volunteered information she begins to elaborate; **Talking… speaking in the way you imply, is not something I can do anymore.**

"Wait," Kuwubara interrupts, becoming distracted from his and Yuske's game. "Koenma said you were twenty six, but there's no way! How old are you, really?"

"Damn, Kuwubara, even I know not to ask a girl's age!" The dark haired man exclaims, decimating his opponent in the digital game before turning to face the small albino, a grin playing across his strong features. Kurama watches as annoyance flashes through the deep cerulean of Mae's eyes. The half demon's next question only adds to the girl's aggravation. "So, what, you just woke up one morning and couldn't talk?"

When Mae's lips press into a thin line Kurama steps in, smoothing his charcoal slacks as he speaks. "Things like this are rarely so simple Yuske. You were living in the orphanage at that time, Mae, yes? With the nuns?"

The striking sapphire of Mae's eyes meet the fox's own deep green with such intensity the red head finds his breath caught in his throat momentarily. _I must tread carefully after yesterday,_ he takes a deep breath to steady himself and prepare for the resistance he will surely face. She regards him skeptically for an extended moment, as if to decide how much to reveal before raising her hands to answer his question. **I was, though technically it was part of the Catholic Church.**

"What kind of parent just abandons their kid like that anyways?" The carrot top grumbles, ditching his controller on the coffee table. At this Mae visually stiffens, her hands jerkily moving to form the words: **it wasn't his fault.** Without translating, the fox gives a pointed look to the human. _Kuwubara and Yuske were still sifting through texts when Mae told Koenma and me about her father, so they don't know about the abuse. We're finally starting to make some progress; I need to act quickly in order to keep her from closing up again._

"You don't resent your father for abandoning you?" Kurama questions, brushing a few stray hairs from his face. Mae shakes her head slowly, but doesn't elaborate further. _How could I,_ she muses, _when I'm the one responsible._ A deep despair stirs in her chest as she remembers her father's final moment of clarity, the moment that led him to leave her at the orphanage.

 _ **"You stupid girl!" Her father shrieks, hurling a half empty bottle of liquor at her head. Unable to fight the reflex, Mae ducks, allowing the bottle to shatter on the wall behind her. The strong smelling liquid splatters them as the remaining shards of glass fall to the floor.**_

 _ **"You should have never been born. You were a mistake." He grunts, grabbing her upper arm with one hand and tangling his free hand in her filthy white hair in order to yank her head back, effectively forcing the young girl to face him. Tears gather in her sapphire eyes, but refuse to fall. Her father blinks, once, then twice. A moment of clarity comes to the crazed man through his drunken haze. As if realizing it's his daughter, the only remainder of his beloved wife, he's restraining he drops her.**_

 _ **"Daddy?" She asks, gathering her legs under her and shakily rising to her feet. She watches, bewildered as he stumbles back, his hands raised defensively. He regards her with terrified bewilderment, as if realizing for the first time in a year that his child is not the monster he's been seeing. A silence passes between the two before Mae's father drops his defensive position, a defeated slump to his shoulders taking its place.**_

 _ **"Mae…" He begins, his voice trailing off and his gaze boring through her as if she were nothing more than a distant memory. "Let's go."**_

 _ **Too confused to question him, the young girl follows as he leads her to a rusted out pickup and gets in the cab. Her small hand trails over the peeling paint as she moves around the vehicle, remembering when the truck was well maintained and delivered her to school and ice cream parlors instead of unknown and ominous destinations. Afraid of angering her father once more she clambers into the passenger seat, the door squeaking in protest as she struggles to swing it shut. Her father says nothing as the engine rattles to life, turning to watch as he backs slowly from the driveway. Mae remains forward facing, taking in the retreating view of her childhood home, not knowing this is the last time she'll ever see it.**_

Kurama watches as Mae's memories draw her in, her eyes glazing over slightly. He hmms lightly, breaking her trance and drawing her attention back to the present. Determined to have the answers he's seeking the red head pursues the issue further. "That's very big of you, to so readily forgive someone who wronged you."

She glares at him, her hands becoming tangled in the fabric of her yukata in an attempt to stay calm. The raw emotions of her eight year old self play on the edges of her consciousness, threatening to overwhelm her as she maintains eye contact with the fox. Sensing the tension building between the two, Yuske reinserts himself into the conversation, casually throwing an arm around Mae's narrow shoulders. His protective instincts rear themselves as he feels her small frame tense beside him. "Lay off fox boy, not everybody holds grudges for hundreds of years."

The sudden contact along with his jovial tone throws the white haired girl off balance. She glances up at him, her eyes wide with uncertainty at his intentions, but her hands release the skirt of her yukata. The effects of the broth become more noticeable as she visibly relaxes. The warmth from the contact causes Mae to unconsciously shift closer to the dark haired man; a part of her she'd thought she'd buried long ago taking comfort in the strength of the detective's arm around her. With a smirk aimed at Kurama that the small girl misses Yuske grabs Kuwubara's controller and plops it in Mae's lap. "Play a round with me, kid, nobody can ask you questions when you're hands are occupied, right?"

Kurama bites back a frustrated growl at the suggestion when he realizes the easy comradery the detective is building with the strange girl. _Perhaps if Yuske is able to gain her confidence then she will open up to him and we can finally learn what we need to know._ His emerald gaze slides over to the television set where he sees that Mae is easily beating the former detective at the digital fighting game. Glancing down at her hands the red head notes how her fingers dance across the controls, flicking the buttons and manipulating the joy stick faster than Yuske can respond. With a grunt the dark haired man leans forward, concentration screwing his eyebrows together and painting a half frown across his face. Kuwubara begins chuckling as he watches them play, his glee growing with each successive blow that the small girl's character lands on her opponent. The carrot top flops back against the back of his chair and snorts, "Give up Urameshi, she's got you beat bad!"

"Not a chance!" The detective grinds out, leaning so far forward at this point it's a wonder he's still seated on the couch at all. What Kuwubara had said is true, despite Yuske's best efforts he's yet to land a single blow on Mae's character while his own only sports a single red bar. As she delivers the finishing blow the larger man slumps back in defeat, tossing his controller onto the cushion beside him.

"Damn," He grumbles, running a hand through his hair as Mae returns her own device to the coffee table. "You're pretty good. I didn't expect that."

"Well she does talk with her hands." Kuwubara comments, his features laced with glee at his friend's loss. The former detective shrugs in response, clearly pouting. The carrot top leans forward suddenly, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Hey, maybe you could teach me sign language! Then I could finally beat Urameshi!"

"Learn all the languages you want. You'll never have the skills to beat me." Yuske snarks, his own eyes widen as an idea comes to him. "We should though, learn how to understand sign language that is. That way Kurama doesn't have to be around for us to understand you!"

Mae looks at him skeptically, shifting her weight to better face him. **Yuske** , she signs to him before turning to the larger male and pointing before signing, **Kuwubara**. The fox grins when he sees her attempting to teach the boys the signs for their names. _It seems as if Yuske's good nature is getting through to her,_ Kurama grins to himself. The two regard her with equally confused expressions, though Kuwubara is the one to voice his lack of understanding. "Um, Kurama, a little help."

"She's trying to teach you your names, since those are one of the few things that can't be pantomimed." The fox explains, his amused smirk widening when Mae nods in agreement. He adds, "Though, it would be easier to assign them a symbol or gesture that can be easily remembered rather than the kanji for their names."

"Yeah!" Yuske agrees, "Hey, Mae, what's the sign for idiot? That's what we should call Kuwubara!"

He roars with laughter at his own joke while the carrot top growls with anger, flipping his childhood friend the bird. "Oh yeah, Urameshi? Well this can be your sign!"

Mae rolls her eyes in exasperation at their antics before pointing at the two respectively and signing **cowboy** toward the former detective and **big carrot** toward the other. She whips around, glaring at Kurama as he unsuccessfully tires to stifle a laugh. With a chuckle he states "While appropriate, it's obvious you're foreign."

"Wait, what did she call us?" Kuwubara asks eagerly, leaning forward onto his elbows. His eyes glitter in anticipation at his new nickname. Emerald eyes still dance with mirth as he explains. "Apparently Yuske reminds Mae of a cowboy, and Kuwubara a big carrot."

 **It's because of his hair, and that he's really tall.** Mae defends, frowning slightly at the fox. However, the damage is already done. Yuske falls off the couch, rolling across the floor with laughter. _Kuwubara huffs, kicking the detective as he rolls past. When Kurama translates the white haired girl's explanation the carrot top simply crosses his arms with resigned indignation._

 _"If I'm stuck with that then you should have to go by rose boy, Kurama." Kuwbara grumbles, earning a confused look from Mae. Kurama shakes his head lightly at his friend, and counters "I believe you and I both know the sign for fox would be most fitting, Kuwubara."_

 _ **Fox?**_ _Mae signs tentatively, pinching her middle and ring fingers together with her thumb so her pinky and pointer fingers remained standing and waving her hand side to side so it looked as if a small animal was tipping its head with curiosity. The action renews Yuske's laughter and causes Kuwubara to have a small fit of his own. The redhead grimaces at the mirth of his companions, primly tucking his hair behind his ear. Glaring lightly at the two males he says, "I hadn't realized the gesture was quite so…"_

 _"Cute?" The former detective finishes, wiping tears from his eyes. "Damn Kurama, don't let Hiei see that or you'll never live it down!"_

 _"Let me see what?" The group turns to see the jaganshi leaning against the door frame, spirit world's prince no far behind. Garnet eyes survey the group, noting the former detective's position on the floor as the dark haired demon moves to lounge in his favorite window._ _Bastard._ _Hiei cocks his head as the whisper filters through his consciousness, his gaze narrowing at the intrusion, but decides to dismiss it when nothing but silence follows._

 _"I assume you have everything you need." The fox states, turning to Spirit World's prince and completely evading the koorime's question. His only response is a curt nod from Koenma as the prince, still maintaining his teenage form moves across the room. With a small sigh he kneels before Mae. His once sparse file is now threatening to spill papers as he places it at their feet. Without warning and to the amazement of everybody present he engulfs the small girl in a hug. She stiffens at the gesture, fear holding her in place though she instinctively wants to retreat from the contact. When the princeling doesn't release her she begins to shift uncomfortably, delicately trying to untangle herself from his embrace._

 _"I'm so sorry." He whispers, shame laced in his words. Mae stills, tears prick her eyes and make her vision swim._ _It's not them._ _ **They**_ _haven't found me._ _She realizes, relief sweeping through her small form. She ignores the small part of her that screams that this may be a trap, the part that has helped her survive all these years. Because despite her every fiber resisting, she can't deny the glaring apology she's been confronted with._ _They've never apologized, never._


End file.
